Columns

What is Normal?

            Have you ever found yourself going through something and wondering what “normal” is supposed to feel like? Well, “normal” is…but now it’s not normal anymore. Maybe your routine got turned upside down by something like a big snowstorm, or an unplanned trip to the hospital. When things are not normal or your normal has somehow changed, how do you find your way back to normal?

            Let’s take Valentine’s Day, which is coming up soon. We normally do…and you can easily fill in that blank. Then something happens and you have to do something different. Maybe you find that exciting and it makes life fun. But maybe normal has somehow changed for you and you aren’t quite sure what to do about it.

            My pastor has been talking to our congregation about expecting an uncommon year. and maybe he is implying an uncommon life. I have found myself pondering his messages in some deep and personal ways. I have had an uncommon and very un-normal beginning of this year. As I look down the road, I believe that my normal routines in life are about to change. I am thinking about retiring from teaching, so the things that I have done for over 34 years will change.

            I am beginning to wonder what normal will look like next fall. The routines that I have lived my life by are going to change. I was thinking about a friend of mine whose home was damaged in Hurricane Florence; she is living an uncommon life and wishing she could find normal again. I know a few people who lost loved ones recently. They will never have normal the way it used to be.

            I was thinking about Jesus who grew up as the carpenter’s son. For thirty years he lived a normal life, apprenticing under his father Joseph. He got up and worked hard with his hands to build and create whatever the customer needed. I have to imagine that Jesus was a good carpenter, that he made some beautiful things for people. Then one day he gets baptized and goes to a wedding. Everything changed. He never knew a normal day again. He lived uncommonly from that day until his last.

            There are so many people in the Bible who lived normal everyday lives. Then they had an encounter with God and life as they knew it changed. Abraham and Sarah became parents when they should have been great grandparents. David, a shepherd boy, kills Goliath and later becomes king. Daniel does what is right and seeks God for wisdom. Because he prayed he was thrown into the lion’s den, but God did something uncommon and kept those hungry lions away.

            The list of people who have lived uncommon or un-normal lives goes way beyond the Bible. So it is not beyond belief that God could help us live lives that go beyond normal to a level that most would say is uncommon. We know we can’t do it alone. No one in the Bible lived uncommon lives without faith in God. They depended and leaned on God. They couldn’t see tomorrow so they focused on God.

            Normally, it takes me a little longer than a year to read through the Bible reading a chapter every day. My normal routine has changed. I am reading the same book of the Bible over and over again, studying different translations. I am amazed by all that I am discovering as I approach my scripture reading in an uncommon way.

            I have moved myself to the front row at church for the worship and singing portion of the service. I am hungry for more of God and want to experience His presence in a new and uncommon way. I do slip back to my “normal” seat for the message. If I want a new and deeper adventure with God, I am going to have to do somethings differently. Since life gave me a nudge out of the normal routines, why not discover some other uncommon things about God, my loving Heavenly Father?

            A little over a month into the New Year I have decided that I don’t want a normal year with God and I want to encourage you to desire an uncommon year with God. I am not sure where the year will go, but I have put my hand in God’s and I am ready (I think) for a new adventure with Him. God promises that if we draw closer to Him, He will draw closer to us. Closer to God has got to be a good thing. Who wants normal? I want God!

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com

I am not a good reader. I rarely accept recommendations for new books because I read so slowly. That is not to say that I don’t want to hear about your favorite book, I might want to give that author a try. I have a few favorite authors and have some books I would highly recommend. I love a good fictional story, especially one that is fast-paced and has a few twists.

My reading stays mainly in the Christian fiction, although I have strayed a few times with especially good authors or stories. I have also taken to listening to books while traveling. My wife has gotten me to listen to some authors I may never have considered, but whose stories I have thoroughly enjoyed. I have even listened to several popular fiction writers while driving back and forth to work. If the story is really engaging, I have stayed in the car listening long after I arrive home.

While I prefer fiction, I will read non-fiction. One friend encouraged me to read a gripping book about people who survived unimaginable situations. Naturally, I have read some devotional books through the years. There are a few popular non-fiction authors whose books I have enjoyed.

I am always on the lookout for a new book. I always try to find three or four books to read when school lets out. I normally can’t wait to dive into a good book once the kids have gone home for summer. We recently visited Barnes & Noble, where I thoroughly enjoy walking the aisles looking for something good to read. There was a book in the discount section that grabbed my attention. I picked it up several times because of its catchy title, “God Winks.”

I left the store without the book but couldn’t get the title out of my head. The next day I was looking around Amazon and found the book again. I read a little bit about it, but just couldn’t resist the title. I decided this might make some good lunchtime reading, and I was right. The book contains short stories about people who are going through rough moments, who receive a sign from heaven that God is with them. Some may want to write these moments off as coincidence, but the author strongly disagrees.

The author contends that God is watching over us, and when we are in a very difficult moment or struggling with a loss in our life, God will send us a reassurance from heaven that we are not alone. The stories are short, fun, and enjoyable, making for great lunchtime reading. I believe that God is actively involved in our lives, and have received many winks from heaven to let me know that He is right here beside me.

I have also had the high privilege and honor of being the one to give others an encouraging word from heaven. I believe God whispers a name in our spirit so we can pray for those who are struggling. I also believe He will encourage us to call or write a note to someone who is in the heat of the battle and needing to know they are not alone. A simple word from heaven can lift our burdens and give us the courage to carry on.

Life is not easy. Each of us has a story filled with difficult moments, ones that might cause us to want to give up. That’s when that encouraging word is critical to our survival. God knows how to stir people up to pray, call, or just happen by at just the right moment. We all need to know we are not alone, because the devil is working overtime trying to convince us we are.

I believe God wants to use you to encourage others. There is someone you know who needs you. They are struggling and God is putting them on your heart. He wants to use you to give them hope. Hope is one of God’s most powerful weapons, that can help us overcome insurmountable odds. Faith, hope, and love can sustain a weary spirit through the most difficult times.

I want to encourage you to take action on being an encourager for God. If you are willing, God will open doors that you never imagined. You might be surprised who might need that little boost from you today. The simple acknowledgement that you are standing with someone may be all they need to get back up and fight. We all fight seemingly overwhelming battles; you might be just the one to help someone be the overcomer they were meant to be.

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com

Has it only been a week since I last wrote a column? It seems like more than a month. It has been a crazy week. We were back to school today after being off for a few days because of the hurricane. I asked my students, “How many of you lost power?” It was about a third that lost power for at least a few hours, with one student who had not received power back before she came to school.

We lost power on Thursday afternoon. When darkness settled in on Thursday evening it became apparent that the power would not be returning. We had lanterns and flashlights and we cooked supper using the gas grill. We were pioneering it.

When Thursday turned into Friday and the prospect of power seemed out of reach, pioneering began to lose its appeal. I cleaned out the refrigerator on Friday before the trash men came. We were still hopeful that power would be restored before the freezer thawed. That did not happen, so we cleaned the freezer out on Saturday. Pioneering had completely lost its appeal.

Throughout this process we remained thankful that our home had not been affected and that the weather was nice and comfortable. We were thankful for each other and we were thankful for our many blessings. On both Thursday and Friday night I went outside and could not believe how many beautiful stars I could see.

I have great neighbors. We were all checking on each other. While we had some trees down in our neighborhood, thankfully, none of my neighbors had any storm damage other than struggling through the loss of power. We are thankful for each other. We were happy when the power came back on Saturday evening.

We cleaned up all the pioneering stuff, started some laundry, and rejoiced again each time we flipped a switch and the lights worked. With the power back on, it was time to start getting things back to normal. The refrigerator looks nice, clean, and spacious.

Once the power was on and the cleanup was well underway, I slowed down and took a few minutes to catch up with the internet. Looking at things on your phone is just not the same as the computer screen. I watched several videos about the destruction left behind by Hurricane Michael. My heart broke for so many people who are suffering from the powerful destruction left behind by the storm. The storm affected people from Florida to Virginia.

When I finished watching the videos, I asked God to comfort those who were suffering. I asked Him to activate His church to reach out to those who need help. I asked God to let His love flow through His people and to bring healing.

I thought about the news reports where people kept saying that they were praying to God for help. They were thankful to be alive and for His protection through the storm. They were thankful to be safely on the other side.

When the storms of life are wailing it’s hard to be thankful. When our health is failing, finances are drying up, the enemy has stolen from us, we have been wronged, and when doubt, fear, and discouragement have camped out in our minds, it can be difficult to thank God. Where is the justice? Where is the reward for serving God? We must quiet our minds and turn our hearts toward our Daddy in heaven. We must thank Him for never leaving us. We must thank Him for the courage and strength to face our circumstances. We must thank and praise Him for all that is good and right in our lives. I know it is hard, but we serve a good and loving Heavenly Father who WILL come through for us.

I know many friends who are facing overwhelming circumstances. I know God will help them. If you find yourself in the storm, then I want to encourage you to take your eyes off your situation and look to your loving Heavenly Father. Focus on Him. Then start to thank Him for all the good things in your life. Praise Him for who He is. If you can, worship Him. You will discover what you may have temporarily forgotten, that He is closer than you thought. He is with you. He will see you through the storm that you are facing. I am praying for you right now, trusting and believing that God will reveal Himself to you, and that He will help you find His peace in the midst of your storm.

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com