The New Normal

This morning before the kids got up I was looking through my purse when I came across two little dirty socks in my purse. I paused trying to recall how I came to have two sandy, stinky, not even close to white, socks in the bottom of my purse. Then I remembered. I had taken The Hippie Child to find tap shoes in between dropping the two other children off for soccer and a dance class that I had 20 minutes to get to. At the time, it seemed like the most normal thing in the world to drop those socks in the bottom of my already sloppy bag. In LBB (Life Before Babies) you would never have found two such smelly specimens in my tote. But this is my new normal. In LBB I also didn't have cups in the sink constantly. Or seven loads of laundry to do. Or pancake batter on every shirt I own. I had a discussion recently with a friend who works full time and has two children. She said she was having to learn to let things go. We have all had to learn to let things go in our new normal. Maybe you had to give up the fabulous job you loved because it required too much travel. Maybe you choose to walk over the carpet stain in the living room because somebody spilled grape juice all over it. Let it go.

The cool thing about the new normal is what it does to your priorities when you let all that stuff go. I can assure you when you get to Heaven God is not going to ask you how many dirty dishes were in your sink or how many loads of laundry ware waiting by the washer. He will only be concerned with how you loved. Sometimes all the laundry and dishes gets in the way of how we love. Have you ever barked at your kids because you are walking out of the house as they are leaving a Pigpen-like trail of destruction in their wake? As an experiment I asked my kids if they could set my priorities for today, what priority would be on the top of the list for me to do today. One said devotions. One said spending time alone, doing something I like to do. One said tucking them in because they just can't sleep until everyone has hugged and kissed them. Not one said, "Woman, get in there and rattle those pots and pans!" Now everyone needs to go to school in clean underwear and there are things that must be done. But does it have to be right now? Does it all have to be done at one time, all the time? Look at your new normal today. Is there something you are trying to hold on to that isn't doing any body any good? Let it go and know that you will probably be the only who watches it walk away.