New normal

Recently, I read the title to something and it said, "Jesus wrecked my life."  I didn't read the whole thing, so I don't know what that person had to say or what it was about.  But after a hard last week with the boys, it made me think...

Jesus wrecked my life too and I couldn't be happier!

I am sure the other article was going in the same way I am but here is my version.

I grew up a Christian but that didn't mean much to me until a friend invited me to an amazing church about 6 years ago.  It wasn't until I found a church where I felt at home that my faith started to grow.  Soon I started to have a personal relationship with Jesus and finally started listening to what He wanted for my life.

Before God called me to Uganda over 2 years ago, I had big dreams.  Dreams of a big house and nice car.  Dreams of an amazing career working for the UN traveling all over the world or a professor teaching at a famous university writing tons of books.  I had lots of dreams and ambitions.  I dreamt of living in Chicago or another big city.  I had a wonderful life planned out in my head.  It was going to be amazing.  A life where I had everything I could ever possibly want.

And then Jesus ruined it...

God called me to Uganda and showed me it wasn't my life to live.  He showed me my life was a gift from Him and the greatest way to say thanks was to live a life that honored Him and to follow His will for my life.  So in essence, yes Jesus wrecked the life I had planned.  He turned it upside down and inside out.  But He also showed me it wasn't my life to plan out.  It was our Father's.  And He planned it a long time ago.

And good thing He did!

He has given me more than I ever could have dreamed.  He gave me things that I didn't even know that I wanted.  Nineteen "things" actually and hopefully more in the future.  Even though I had an amazing life planned out, the life God had planned for me is beyond amazing.  Epically amazing!

Sometimes it is difficult but He always gives me the strength and steps in when I miserably fail.  Last week was a difficult week with the boys changing schools.  The students and teachers at the new schools weren't being kind to the boys and were making fun of them for being so behind and so big in such low grades.  It really hurt the boys and some even refused to go to school.  Some came to their senses and went back after a day or so, but one boy stubbornly refused all week.  I was talking to a friend and I told her I couldn't wait for things to be normal again and she informed me this was my new normal.

New normal...

At first it scared me but then I realized...

I have 19 boys that I love so much.  I love them just as much on their good days, as on their bad.  Like any other family, we have our good days and bad.  We fight and argue.  We disagree and annoy each other.  And we challenge each other.  How we challenge each other!!!  But at the end of the day, this is the life God called me to.  Jesus ruined my life to bring me into His.  It is my new normal.  And I love every second of it!