The Concept of Normal

So I have been thinking about this concept of what it is to 'be normal' for a while now. My conclusion: there is no universal 'normal'.

Since being back home I have been constantly bombarded with 'being normal'. To be honest, my life is normal, for me anyway. The fact that I am living (not forever) in Australia, preaching the Word of God to youth, praying, attending mass, writing schedules, running youth groups and RE classes has, in a way, become my normal. Currently though my 'normal' has been thrown out the window and I'm just sort of floating in this weird unknown of what others say my normal should be, being pulled in all directions. I suppose this started my musings into the norm. It was mentioned to me the other day 'Why don't you go and do something that a normal 19 year old would do?' I think the moral of this question was 'Why don't you go out to town and drink, take drugs and party to the wee hours of the morning?' Now I'm not saying that all late teens do this but this but lets say a large percentage take part in at least one or more of these. Trust me I'm still a teenager and sometimes I feel like all I want to do is go out and party, but I know it's not the right thing for me, personally, to do. I've been asked 'Why don't you go hang out with some of your 'non-church' friends' - most of my friends all attend church at least on Sunday; 'Why don't you let your hair down?' - funnily enough I let my hair down by being at church; 'Why do you always read Jesus books?' - I find them enjoying and inspiring: the list goes on. My 'normal' is not the worlds 'normal' for late teens: FACT.

'Someone please explain what it is to 'be normal', it sounds rather dull and boring. God didn't make us to be dull and boring, He made us to be extraordinary. Don't fall to the worlds standard of 'normal', go out there and be extraordinary for the Glory of God"

I find myself on occasions thinking that maybe I should just go and be 'normal' (in a secular sense) and that I am too 'over churchy' and I need to get a life, then I remember what my 'normal' has been for the past 12 months and both the struggles and triumphs that I have experienced and I realise that I am living the 'normal'. My 'normal' and most importantly God's 'normal'.

Shouldn't God's normal be everybody's normal? Oh how we can hope and pray that the world would find itself back in the hands of God's normal, can you imagine it?! It would be incredible. God created us, loves us, wrote our true 'normal', but it's up to us to take that 'normal' up but in a sad and realistic sense the world is too 'I need my instant gratification and I need it now' and God doesn't always give us that, He gives us what's not only best for our whole life, but for our eternity.

I hope that my ramblings made at least some sense ... I just needed to write it down somewhere. I pray that I continue to follow God's 'normal' that He wrote for me and I pray the same for you.

This Man right here became my 'normal' and I hope that He always stays my 'normal'