I’ll be honest,
there’s a phrase that genuinely frustrates me.
“That’s just normal.”
People say it so casually.
So dismissively.
As if the conversation should end right there.
But every time I hear it, something in me resists.
Because what we often call normal isn’t always healthy.
It isn’t whole.
And it definitely isn’t something I want to settle for.
Normal is cheating and brushing it off with, “well, that just happens.”
Normal is living paycheck to paycheck and calling it reality instead of questioning it.
Normal is impatience, emotional unavailability, burnout, bitterness and apathy.
Normal is staying stuck because “that’s just how life is.”
And honestly?
Normal like that doesn’t serve anyone.
It doesn’t challenge us.
It doesn’t reflect the kind of life we were created for.
So no, I definitely do not want to be normal.
Because normal often goes unexamined.
It’s inherited patterns no one bothered to heal from.
It’s lowering the bar so we don’t have to feel uncomfortable or convicted.
And I refuse to shrink my standards or myself, just to fit into what’s socially acceptable.
I don’t want a normal relationship if normal means dishonesty, half-hearted love or a lack of commitment.
I don’t want normal faith if normal means showing up on Sundays but living unchanged Monday through Saturday.
I don’t want normal thinking if normal means never questioning what I’ve been taught or why I believe what I believe.
Jesus didn’t die so we could live normal lives.
He called people to be transformed, not to blend in.
Set apart, not watered down.
Awake, not numbed by what everyone else accepts.
Scripture even warns us of this:
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” — Romans 12:2
And often, the pattern of this world looks exactly like “normal.”
God gently but firmly invites us to choose something different.
Choosing not-normal doesn’t mean perfection.
It doesn’t mean superiority.
And it doesn’t mean we get it right all the time.
It simply means being willing to pause and ask,
“Is this actually good?”
“Is this healthy?”
“Is this aligned with who God is calling me to be?”
Sometimes rejecting normal means being misunderstood.
It means people telling you you’re “too much,” “too idealistic,” or “asking for too much.”
But I’d rather ask for too much than settle for too little.
Because normal may be common,
but common isn’t always right.
So, if that means I don’t fit neatly into what’s considered normal,
I’m okay with that.
Because normal doesn’t lead, to where I want to go.
Many Blessings, Grace. Xx
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