What is "Normal"?

What is 'normal'?  Recently a dear friend ask me if things are back to normal for us since we are back from our trip etc.   I must have looked at her with a funny look and we had to laugh, trying to figure out if things are back to 'normal' for us!  I'm trying to accept that there really is no 'normal' for us anymore.  About the time it seems like my days are producing some normalcy, circumstances change! :) 

Example:

Our church goes camping every year and for years our family has "changed" our lawn trailer into a "travel trailer" for the weekend.  Lots of work but can be fun if done with a great attitude.  We scrubbed the insides down with bleach, gave the walls and floors a fresh coat of paint every other year and set up housekeeping.  We set up a full size bed at one end, add a table, chairs, small refrigerator, use the shelves at the other end for bunk beds, load our ice chests, lawn chairs and all the other 'necessary items' and off we go.  We have alot of good memories working together to get ready for campout weekend. 

Something I have always appreciated about our church people is their creativity in camping with what they have.  No two people do it exactly the same.  Some have campers, some convert lawn trailers, some use tents, and some stay at motels.  Us ladies usually enjoy the "parade of homes" one forenoon as we tour each other's homes and get ideas on how we can improve ours for the next year.  I never sense a competitive spirit but always a lot of fun in it. (Of course, we always click our tongues if someone has something new. ha!)

Well, we sold our lawn business in February and with it went our "camper".  The kids have been concerned about what we are going to camp in this year.  I told them I was going to ask God for a camper for us to camp in.  Recently I was challenged by a blog by a friend of ours on "Asking God" and having faith.  We had been checking craigslist for campers and had set a price of what we felt we could pay for one.  It was seeming impossible to find one in decent shape in our price range so I was kind of thinking we may be going in a tent this year.  We used to tent it when the children were small and had some great times.  I am not really a "tent" person but I wanted to be willing to tent it this year if God wanted us to.  We went to look at numerous campers hoping the people would come WAY down so we could get a really nice one.... needing no work..... not to be. 

BUT GOD did find us one about an hour north of here, owned by an older Christian couple, who were no longer wanting the responsibility of pulling it on the road.  With a family of six (seven) we needed something that was big enough for us to get in and yet not to big for Derek's truck to pull.  The one we found is 19 years old but in decent shape.  Something it has that was important to me is a back door.  A back door is important to me in case of a fire.  (The kids think it is funny that I would even think of that!)  It needs quite abit of interior work done to it and so that has changed our 'normal' routine these days.  We started in the bedroom; the ceiling had some rotten spots in it so JR, Derek, and I tried our hands at installing a new ceiling.  We went to Home Depot, found some ceiling paneling and ta-da: a new ceiling.  What a mess it was to do but now we know how to install travel trailer ceilings! ha! 

Over the years we have had to do alot of our own projects because financially we were not able to afford to have someone do them for us.  Some of our greatest memories and something I will greatly miss when we are old is no longer being able to do projects together.  (hopefully God has many more projects for us to do yet!)

Back to faith:  does God always give us what we want?  No, He certainly doesn't.  But He does delight when we ask Him for our desires and then wait before Him and allow Him to give it to us if He wants to. He also delights and is glorified in finding us the 'impossible'. Everytime I look out the window at our camper I am reminded that it is a GIFT from Him for us to use for His glory. 

Are you looking at an 'impossible'? 

Ask God for the desires of your heart.

Allow Him the freedom to 'give or not to give'

then praise and glorify Him either way.

"In all things He works for our good."