Something "Normal"

I've been following about ten blogs of missionaries and orphanages inside Haiti. One amazing woman was sharing about how she did a lot of running and marathon training, prior to the earthquake. After the horrific events of that day and the ones that followed, life and death became the glaring reality and all things "normal" went out the broken window. Today, for the first time in 14 days, she and another lady went for a run. Another missionary drove by and said, "It's so good to see you doing something so normal. God bless you." Wow.

While I am not in the thick of the battle like so many people, my life also halted that day. I could not eat or sleep for days on end and our entire routine was thrown off. I have spent more than 100 hours on the phone or computer or praying for the needs on the phone or computer. Last night I didn't get to sleep until three a.m. Nonetheless, today has had a "normal" feel to it...as if life can ever go back to the way things were before the earthquake.

Do you measure time in "befores" and "afters?" I often refer to my life "pre children" or "post children." Often, tragedy splits time in two. "Before she died" and "after she died" can be heard in conversations. I know our family will use the earthquake in Haiti as an event that split life in two. So many things that mattered before seems so insignificant now. And the things that mattered before--staying close to God and each other--are even more confirmed in our hearts. For us, serving Jesus and being a strong knit family is the most "normal" thing we will ever do. So, we move forward...into the norm...