Re-entry to "Normal"

After getting back from Nic and returning to "normal" activities, so many things seemed trivial. My daughters bickered over the smallest things. Grocery purchases seemed excessive even though nothing frivilous was bought. Honking traffic and gestures seemed so unnecessary. At work, people were getting twisted about such small things.

I feel like I don't belong in the "busy life." I feel out of place.

Thinking back to last week, we were all brought together first in our belief in Christ, the fact of his resurrection, and the hope we have in him. Our Team was brought together through the actions of the Holy Spirit, calling us to do his work. In fact, we just read Psalm 139, which states that God has our every day planned out, and had them planned out for us before time began. This is most reassuring!

We also know that Jesus prayed for each of us in John 17. The entire chapter is Jesus prayer for not only the disciples he had with him, but for all believers to be one with God just as Jesus and God are one! Again, we see that all believers have one-ness with God and Jesus. We've been called! Jesus also prays that the Holy Spirit be upon believers, who enters us from the moment we accept Christ.

Our Team, I believe, lived a model life for a week: prayed some ferocious, audacious prayers fighting with swords of the tongue; others were praying for us intently and regularly; our Team was together in purpose and in daily fellowship; we depended on each other; we served each other; we served and cared for orphans; we served and cared for the poor; we studied the Word several times a day, individually and together; we prayed together and individually; we witnessed others' great faith; we prayed intently for others; we met and established relationships with other Christian brothers and sisters, who were also called by the Holy Spirit to move; our lives intersected by the direction God gave us. We lived together. We witnessed some extreme environments and met many challenges.

Coming home, others ask, "How was it?" In my own experience, their "busy-life" glazed their eyes even after a few moments, like a deer in headlights.

John 3, The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”^[d]

My coworkers didn't know where I was coming from! And when I began talking about prayers prayed, they had know idea where I was going!

No wonder we feel like we don't belong here (that is, in our busy-life). We experienced what God intended for us when we were in Nic! We don't belong, because "this" is not "normal." God wants us to live as we did in Nic; as as church (there's the Acts theme again!). Serving others. One with God. Praying constantly. Fellowship. Care. Love.