Restoration #2 of 9 Returning to “Normal”, August 2
Written by Justin Wood
“‘I’m going out to fish,’ Simon Peter told them, and they said, ‘We’ll go with you.’ So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing” (John 21:3 NIV).
What would you give for a normal day? Before cancer, a normal day is often boring and forgotten. During cancer, having one of those normal days would be like winning the lottery. It would be magical. What would you give to go back to those days with no chemo and no nausea and no hair loss? No concern over how you will pay your medical bills, when you can return to work, or whether the cancer has returned?
In today’s verse, the disciples wanted to return to “normal.” The disciples were deeply hurt because their life was not making sense anymore. When life doesn’t make sense, don’t you just want to go back to when it did?
Simon Peter wanted to go back to the way it was before trauma came and all their plans were destroyed. The other disciples thought it was a great idea, also. They wanted to find some normal again. So, when Peter declared he planned to return to the old ways, his boat was full of friends. After chaos, we all want to journey back to normal.
They tried to travel back to normal. They remembered what it felt like to work together. They knew the quiet, peaceful times of friendship on the water. They knew the excitement from gathering nets full of fish that paid for their family’s livelihood. They were also far away from angry crowds yelling, “Crucify Him.”
“That night they caught nothing.” Nothing. Our attempts to escape back into “normal” will usually lead us into an empty place. Why? We cannot discover “normal” on our own. We must seek the Lord—because only He can restore us and connect us with our new place in life.
The process of restoration must include the understanding that we can’t go back to what once was. We cannot go back, but we can honor the old normal. We can honor people and events and memories. We can tell stories. Laugh. Cry. Remember.
The process of restoration must include the Lord showing us the new normal. It is not easy. We can best honor the past by living in the now. We can learn to appreciate today’s blessings.
And on those hard days, when you are just like Simon Peter and you want to go back to the way it was before cancer, don't go alone. Call a few friends to hop in the boat with you. On those days, give yourself some extra grace.
Pray: Lord, show me how to live in this new normal. Allow me to become aware of Your presence in this new place in life. Amen.
Your Turn: Create memorials to the old normal (pictures, plant a tree, etc.) and choose to walk with the Lord into this new normal.
Justin Wood, Childhood Cancer Survivor
Justin lives in Bowling Green, Kentucky with his wife and six homeschooled kids. Through his life, Justin has become a wonderful mix of entrepreneur, English teacher, and foreign missionary. He is a survivor of childhood cancer. Justin is very grateful for Cancer Companions and the opportunity to be a part of this devotional writing process.
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