New Normals Can Be Nice

Nothing changes if nothing changes. That’s one of my favorite sayings. My ruts can make life a broken record. Until I change that record, futile noise keeps skipping along. COVID generated a sour taste for new normal terminology, but we should be using the infamous “reset” to change the way we do many things. 

Schools in the south seem to begin earlier every year. We are about three weeks in, and everyone else is about to begin. It is time for millions to engage a new normal. 

Revere Loss

Everything reminds me of my dead husband. Something happens each and every God-given day that I want to tell him to make him laugh. He weighed three hundred pounds. The only way I could force his body to do anything was to overpower his mind. This usually occurred with humor. The effect was laughter. It was the closest thing to psychokinesis I ever achieved.

We must now experience humor together differently. You can only imagine what happened during the Johnny Depp trial when it was discovered that Amber Heard (allegedly) defecated in his bed, blaming it on a 4lb Yorkie. We also have a 4lb Yorkshire Terrier that has mastered spite. If you do something of which it does not approve, she will also go poo in wrong places. Chris frequently teased me by threatening to go poo on my computer and blame it on Molly if I did something he didn’t like. 

I admit in writing that I cried when I learned of Amber’s alleged deed. Not for Johnny’s sake, but because Chris is in heaven. He and I were unable to lose five pounds laughing at her ridiculousness in his man cave. I mean, someone actually did (allegedly) what Chris had joked about for years. It was presented in a court of law. The outrageous hilarity is beyond measure. I would never suggest the American legal travesty was a God wink, but it was certainly a travesty that I couldn’t laugh about it with my husband. Though I was able to look at the sky and guffaw until I cried. If this offends, give me a little grace.

Radiate Positivity

So I’ve never done this before, but I’m prominently placing an inspiring quote for myself and students every morning. I do devotions and Bible studies year-round and sprinkle scripture through the house with Post-Its, but this habit is something new. I pray that quick glances will affect everyone who enters my classroom. Spread some love. 

Reap Benefits

My favorite book on change is James Clear’s Atomic Habits. Speaking of clarity, Mr. Clear’s book on altering habits is unprecedented. The audiobook was one of the best things I’ve ever listened to whilst walking in parks. I’ve just ordered the hardback. 

I’m getting to work by seven o’clock most days. Starting early means beginning each day with writing or planning. The benefits of enjoying the sunrise from a classroom window are rays of goodness.

I would love to know how the Lord has comforted you with humor in a new normal. What habits can reap you some great rewards in new normals? 

God Is Gifting Birds

When Chris and I moved back to America, my dead grandmother knocked on our front door. 

We had lived in China for more than two years while he was the GM for At-Pac’s Asia production. When it was time to return, we landed in a home on Lake Allatoona. I left China before Chris to prepare the home and dock so everything would be perfect for him.

The first morning, a sharp knocking woke me. I wasn’t expecting anyone but rolled off the mattress I had plopped in the master bedroom prior to the arrival of the rest of our furnishings. After a rush down the hall, I opened the door to an empty porch. There was no one in sight except for the swift exit of red feathers into a dogwood. 

Cardinals

The next morning it happened again. I awakened to relentless knocking on the textured glass. I ran down the hall and opened the door. The little red bird was perched on the porch railing, staring at me. It couldn’t be true. Had the bird been knocking on the door? I watched it hop along, our eyes meeting, my heart beating. It was surreal, the beautiful little thing, daintily jerking its head and body. 

I told Chris about it in our daily phone calls connecting us from different time zones. He thought it was strange, and I didn’t think anyone else would believe me. So I planned to film it on my cell phone if it happened again. I kid you not, the cardinal’s beak tap tap tapped the next morning and I grabbed my phone, tiptoed down the hallway, slowly moving to the window. 

How do I know it was Mama? I don’t. But I used to spend the night with my grandmothers and treasure those nuanced memories. My father’s mother was met with a bright cardinal every morning. It would appear in her holly bush and observe her washing breakfast dishes. I specifically remember it greeting her every morning, as sure as her buttered toast was like croutons. This phenomenon fascinated me, as I observed the feathered observer every morning I visited. I was so afraid it would harm itself in the prickly leaves and wondered why it chose that spot.

Bluebirds

For the last three moves, the first dish I’ve randomly unwrapped has been a cardinal Christmas mug. No coincidence there, either. Little birds of happiness have also been popping up since I moved into my new cottage. The first box I opened contained my porcelain bluebird, and the previous owner left me one in the garden. 

Fear and hopelessness descended in waves when my husband fell into a coma after open heart surgery. Our Father has soothed me with His precious creatures ever since Chris died. My mother gave me a bluebird painting the day I moved in. I’ve also seen actual bluebirds many times over the last month and they certainly fill me with happy.

Doves

The almighty’s most famous harbinger of hope is the white creature who brought Noah a twig after several brutal weeks at sea. The comparison of the dove to the pleasing perfection of Jesus was given by our Father when the Holy Spirit descended upon His son in the Jordan. God’s voice from Heaven resonated with, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” A white dove visited me once as a child when I called upon the name of Jesus at a very dark time in my life. I’ll write about that frightening miracle some other time. 

I now embark on a new era of uncertainty. I’m bewildered some days despite God’s beautiful gifts. My dear friend Katherine keeps telling me to shut out fear and focus on the beauty of every day, taking this opportunity to rebuild my life in joy and happiness. Clearly, God’s little birds are guiding me in that direction.

Birds, no doubt, have communicated with me in momentous circumstances. I would love to hear your stories of creatures sent by the Lord to comfort or celebrate exciting milestones. Have your children ever mentioned this phenomenon? What happened and how did you give glory to God?