What’s Normal

Today I had a conversation with an old friend, Dan. In the conversation I said something like, “Then, I’ll be normal again.”

His immediate response was, “You’re not normal, George. You were never normal. You’ll never be normal. That’s why I like you.”

The first time I realized Dan admired me for the way I live was in 2013 while I was producing the Reach For More event in Jordan, Minnesota. I had just gone through a financial meltdown, losing my farmland, my house, and for seven and a half months I was homeless.

Under these circumstances I decided to produce an event in Jordan because I didn’t want the devil to win. If the devil was able to stop me, he would have won.

So, as I was producing the event, I was still homeless. Temporarily, I stayed with a friend some distance from the event.

I asked the event leaders if there was somewhere I could stay in the area while I was producing the event. They came up with a place, a cabin on a lake with six bedrooms.

When I arrived that night, I was pretty excited, and I called my friend Dan to share the news.

“Nobody lives like you do!” Dan exclaimed. It was then I first realized he actually admired me for the way I lived.

He admired my lifestyle, because it was not normal. All, his other friends, I guess had reasonably secure living conditions. They had homes, jobs, regular income . . . things like that.

So, speaking to the way I live, he said I would never be normal, and that’s why he liked me.

Hmmmm . . .

So let’s examine that thought a bit. The question we must ask is, “What is normal?”

It depends entirely on your perspective. If you are like most middle class Americans, you are a benefactor of the “The American Dream.” You have a house, a decent car, a job, steady income, and so on. In a nutshell, you have security. And to one who’s living the dream, that’s normal. And, I might say, that is the mindset of most Americans.

I, on the other hand, was called to another way of life . . . serving the Lord, doing whatever He would tell me to do, when He told me to do it, and trusting Him to provide all of my needs. In Christian circles, this kind of daily trusting is called “living by faith.”

There are a lot great Christians from our past that lived by faith. George Muller lived in the 17th century England and built five orphanages by faith, that is, by trusting God to send the funds to build and operate the orphanages, and the daily means to feed the orphans.

Rees Howells was the son of a coal miner in Wales in the very early 1900’s. God told him to quit his job and live by faith. Later in his life, he was standing in front of a large estate, estimated at 10,000 pounds and God told him to buy it, even though at that moment he had just a few shillings to his name. He bought it. God miraculously sent in the money. Rees turned it into a Bible college for young men.

What is normal? Is normal living in the American Dream, or is it something else?

What about the way Jesus disciples lived? Maybe that’s normal. Listen to the instructions He gave them when he sent them out to preach the gospel.

Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs . . .

                                Matthew 10:9,10 NKJV

So, in plain language, He is telling them not to take any money with them, nor a suitcase, nor an extra jacket, or extra pair of shoes.

Is this normal? Obviously, the general populous does not think it is normal.

When God provided a six-bedroom cabin to stay in, my friend, Dan, was quite amazed. “Nobody lives like you do!”   

Does my life resemble Jesus instruction to the disciples? Yes, quite a lot. Lorraine and I presently live by faith. Often what we need comes in the day that we need it. We have to travel to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, next week. Again, our faith is stretched, because today we don’t have the money we need to get there and to pay for the hotel.

I can tell you story after story, how God tested my faith, then supplied when I was obedient.

Here’s just one: When we were living in Grand Forks, North Dakota, I needed to go to Minneapolis. It was decided Lorraine would stay home. I had no money for a rental car, but I rented one anyway with my cash card, knowing they would not take the money out until I returned the car. The bill was $233. I felt led, first to stop at a Christian coffee house in Fergus Falls. I knew the owner and she always gave me a free sandwich and coffee. This time, after I had eaten, she gave me $50.

I talked to my friend, Ivan, in Minneapolis and he said he would do $100. I reached Minneapolis and the next morning met with my friend Paul at a Perkins Restaurant. I now needed $83 to pay for the rental car.

We ate, fellowshipped and got ready to leave. Paul, kind of hesitated, staring out the window as if in deep thought. Then he took out his wallet. “I’m supposed to give you all the money in my wallet,” he said. He took all the money out and laid it on the table. Can you guess the amount? The bills added up to $83.

On the trip I visited with two different couples who “have it together,” and I don’t mean that derogatorily. They work and have plenty of income.

But the reaction of the wives in both cases was the same. “Oh, I love those kind of stories!” And their reactions also told me they were just a tad or a lot jealous. What they really craved was to see God work in their lives in miraculous ways like he had just worked in mine.

So we are back to the question, “What’s normal?”

Every person who has decided to be a disciple of Jesus is asked to give up their life in order to fulfill what needs to be done for His kingdom.

If you have asked Jesus into your heart, if you have decided to become a disciple of Jesus, you give up your life and that “is” what is normal.

I refer you to what Jesus mother said at the wedding at Cana. When they needed more wine, they thought Jesus could help and they petitioned his mother. Here’s what she said: “Whatever He tells you to do, do it?”

And that’s all we need to know. Are you ready for that challenge? “Whatever He tells you to do, do it?”   

What’s Happening?  

Last week I received an email from a radio station in Australia informing me that they are now running our radio spots. This is the first station out of the United States. God is growing the radio ministry.

We have encountered a sort of emergency; we cannot share the details at this time. But it will require considerable travel and motel stays this month.

Again, if you can, please send a generous contribution as our expenses will be larger this month. You are our lifeline. Thank you!

In His Service

George and Lorraine Halama

Photograph designed and taken by Lorraine