I Think We're Awesome

It's been (re)brought to my attention this week that there are people in our lives, even in our church (gasp) that think the life we are living is crazy, out of the box, ridiculous, and not cool.  Maybe even some of these people roll their eyes when we walk by or whisper about our craziness amongst themselves.  

The funny thing is, I think we're pretty normal.  

Breastfeeding?  Feeding of infants = normal.  

Cloth diapers?  Made to catch the poo = normal.
Herbal medicine crossed with modern medicine?  Assists in healing and health = normal. 

Homeschooling?  Education of children = normal.

No dye/restricted diets?  Used to assist in control of behaviors and health of family = normal.

Used cars, old house, yard sale/twice loved clothes, shoes, and toys?  Normal, normal, and normal.

Teaching children to obey (using the word obey!?), to love one another, to be respectful.  Normal, although falling by the wayside in today's society.

It is hard for me to understand that people don't look at us and just see a family.  A family who loves Jesus, loves each other, and tries to love people well.  Two tired and overwhelmed parents who work everyday to support each other and introduce Jesus to their children.  Every.day.

I don't like to be a hypocrite.  I'll be honest - sometimes I look at other families and the way they do things - and, while I don't see abnormalities, I see differences.  I think different is good.  I long to be different.  I love to break apart how other people live their lives and glean knowledge from what works and doesn't work for them and me.  Differences are what this culture was founded on.  

Being abnormal in the face of society used to bother me a great deal.  Judgment made me cower.  While it's a hard stone to throw off, it doesn't affect me like it used to.  Perhaps because, as I get older and a smidgen more mature, I myself don't see our lives as abnormal, but just the ins and outs of how we live.  More importantly, though, I have been able to throw away the judgmental eye rolling and mouth gaping by reminding myself to examine my heart and make sure that we're "all good" in God's eyes.  Perhaps He calls us to be a little abnormal sometimes.  Not to say that He necessarily cares how I diaper my baby but He does care that everything I do points my children to Him and that I do all things in His name.  Every diaper change.  Every lesson taught.  Every time I sit down to nurse the baby - putting aside things that I may want to do instead.  Every item of clothing hung on the line.  Every time I pass a new clothing store without stopping.  Every meal made, mess cleaned, toilet scrubbed.  Dying to self, living for Him.  If that's abnormal, then I'm okay with it.

A friend and I had a conversation this week on living quietly versus living loudly.  I sometimes wish I could live quietly.  I've tried.  It lasts about all of two days and then I'm back to my loud self.  I'm not talking about tone of voice here (although I also try to quiet that!) - I'm talking more about blogging/Facebooking/conversing about how and why we do things instead of just doing them.  

Yep, sometimes I should just do them and move on (working on that!) but the reason I live loudly is simple.  My earthly Dad taught me that if you believe in something you stand up for it.  I live loudly to be an encourager.  I pray, everyday, that my blog, my posts, my face-to-face conversations encourage someone.  Not because breastfeeding and cloth diapering are the only way, but because if you want to do them - be encouraged.  Not because I have ill feelings towards public school, but because if you want to homeschool and feel called to do that - be encouraged.  Living quietly would be easier.  Living loudly is how I put myself on the line over and over again for Christ, knowing I will come up against walls and judgment and knowing time after time I'll have to turn my cheek until there is no where else to go except on my knees.   Dying to self, living for Him.  If that's abnormal, then I'm going there and doing it.  Time.after.time.

Abnormal?  Maybe.  I mean, I happen to think we're kind of awesome.  But really, it's not my opinion or yours that matters now is it?