Glimpses of Truth

Normal?

Are you a normal person?  Or are you “abby-normal?”  Are you average?  Someone described average as “the best of the worst and the worst of the best.”  You know, I don’t think I want to be average anymore. 

For the past number of months, I’ve been listening to the weatherman when he gives the temperatures for the day.  It seems as though they often make a big to-do about the fact that today’s temperature is either below or above average or normal.  The days I’ve heard them talk, the temperatures have never been normal.  Of course, they have taken all the highs and all the lows (every day) and come up with the average. 

Are you average?  One of the definitions from Webster says average means “damaged goods.”  You should look up the word for yourself.  You will be amazed at the many definitions listed.  After reading them, I hope you will be above average. 

Of course, to come up with the average you must have more than one to compare.  Herein lies our trouble.  We often see everyone else in extremes.  They are too slow or too fast, too tall, too short.  They talk too much or never seem to talk at all.  They are too opinionated or never seem to have an opinion.  They are cold natured or hot natured, too much or too little.

We often put everyone in one list or the other, don’t we?  Who are we to decide what “normal” really is?

I’m sure that those around me view me less than normal.  I’m extremely something else, low or high, capable or incapable, achiever or underachiever, kind or unkind.  Those around me would probably not put me in the average or normal group.  That’s okay.  I’m not offended.  Well, not completely.  Some think I’m young, while others think I’m old.  That’s right, it depends on which crowd I’m hanging around with, doesn’t it?  Some like my theology, while some would say I need a little help, while others would say I need a lot of help.  Okay.  

I guess most of us spend a lot of our time trying to please someone else, almost to the point that we fake it.  A husband may have one type of speech in front of his wife while having another when he’s out with the boys.  After all, he wants to be “normal,” be accepted.  Don’t we all want to be “normal?”

Well, as I said earlier, Webster defines it in many ways.  You might wish to see how you measure up.  We all get caught up, I’m afraid, in trying to measure up.  The ways, the times, the styles, the customs say measure up, keep up, be normal. 

But I’m reminded that most of our keeping up is in the outward things which men see.  I’m keenly aware that it’s the inward things which matter most.  One writer put it this way, “The longest journey is the journey inwards.”

The norm doesn’t always fit.  Everybody has a life to live and a story to tell.  Normal – well, that just doesn’t catch my attention like the way you are.  You’re not normal!  You’re “one of a kind.”  Famous?  Probably not to the folks who know you.  Important?  You bet!  God made you.  Normal?  Average?  Who wants that anyway?  Hills and valleys always demand much more than normal.  Brake a little every once and a while.  Speed up when necessary, but don’t sit still, because if you do, someone might think you’re “Normal.”