Oh For Some Normalcy

Nothing in my life is normal.

My work consists of formatting figures and editing scientific documents that mean absolutely nothing to me. I spend my lunch times trying to explain to the international students and postdocs why I spend my every waking minute with college students and why I'm so crazy about following Jesus.

I then take a thirty minute break and walk to the dorms where I have to explain why I'm graduated yet still on campus all the time. Then I lead a Bible study for Latino students and say multiple times that, yes, I'm white, but I still desire to lead them and learn from them.

I have multiple conversations a day about the deeper "issues" in our lives and attempt to interpret where God might be in the midst of all of that.

I live in an apartment that's half falling apart, but is also used to host multiple events, sometimes more than one a day. I eat and live as if I have a family here, each taking turns to cook - which is really wonderful sometimes but is definitely not void of complications and "family problems."

I ride my neighbor's bicycle to church on Sundays and attempt to make friends. All of them so far happen to be African American. Most of the time I feel extremely comfortable with them but when I talk about how I'm leading a Latino Bible study or how I live off a part time salary in order to spend all my evenings with college students, it dawns on me again... My life is not normal.

And to be honest, sometimes, I just wish I had a little normalcy. Oh how lovely it could be to come home from work and watch TV and not worry about anything other than bills and dishes. Or to hang out with friends my age and go clubbing on Friday nights.

But then, in the midst of such a fleeting daydream, I shake myself awake and think, No. I wouldn't have my life any other way... ;)