Do you ever look at other families and assume that they have it all together and yours doesn’t?

Do you look at other pristine and put-together moms or dads and think that you are a hot mess?

Do you look at the successes of your friends while focusing on all of your failures?

There is a profound and often overlooked aspect of our family life that can sabotage us as parents—the desire to be “normal.”

That family is perfect. Mine is hanging on by a thread.

That mom is beautiful. I’m embarrassed to leave the house.

That friend is a rock star. I’m a fake.

We all struggle with this incessant temptation to compare ourselves to others. And when we do, we always come up short.  

So, a few years ago I was going around a mountain I had circled countless times in this endless quest to be “normal,” (whatever that is), and God stopped me cold. He told me that we aren’t designed to be “normal.” We are designed to be “needy.”

You see… that thing that you struggle with, that thing that everyone else seems to have that you don’t, is God’s invitation to press in deeper. It is His petition to trust the Keeper of your soul.

So as I was contemplating my painful, never-ending journey to the land of Normal, which was so starkly contrasted by God’s refreshing invitation to find my rest in Him, this blog, or really a piece of prose, gushed out of me.You can find it by clicking on the image below.
 

And you can hear it in the Episode 121 of CHRISTIAN PARENT/CRAZY WORLD.

You guys, this episode is pretty vulnerable. Through a series of very poignant and personal stories, I explore how this quest for normalcy infiltrates our lives, undermining our parenting and our individual purpose. Our deeply personal struggles and wounds—from infertility and abandonment to financial instability and physical imperfections—heighten the longing to be like “everyone else.”

But those lives that appear perfect are far from it. Everyone battles their own unique challenges that keep them from this mythical place called “Normal.”

The pervasive desire for normalcy is a dangerous and sabotaging force. Because being normal is a fiction, a fairy tale, a farce manufactured by the enemy of our souls. And on some level, we all struggle with it.

We desperately need a shift in perspective.

What we need to realize is this—our unique struggles and disabilities are precisely what draw us closer to God, if we will let them.

The lie of “Normal” is one of the devil’s greatest hits, but in our deepest needs and struggles, God’s grace abounds and leads us to true fulfillment and strength.

If you need a pep talk to break free from the quest for “Normal” and embrace God’s grace in every need, this episode is for you. You can find this inspiring message on Life Audio by clicking on the image below:

Or you can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And please consider giving CP/CW a 5-star rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify. That would make my day!

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Normal (Blog) by Catherine Segars

Ep. 119: Finding Freedom from Sexual Sin and Brokenness (w/ Dr. Lina Abujamra)

Ep. 120: How the Prosperity Gospel Fueled Purity Culture and Undermined Our Parenting (w/ Dr. Lina Abujamra)

2 Corinthians 12:9

Philippians 4:19