“I think it’s important to have as much as a normal life and take the time to get perspective because it only helps your work in the long run.” ~ Winona Ryder
Our parish grounds — and, to an extent, our very parish — were far from normal this last week. The grounds were overgrown with food vendor trailers, and and a few huge entertainment tents. The day-to-day business of the parish was more difficult to do because of the lack of places for people to park. Weekend Masses were poorly attended because the vast majority of our parish goes to neighboring parishes on festival weekends, again, because of the lack of parking.
So, for the past couple of days, we are attempting to return to normal. Immediately after the festival closed at 10:00 p.m. on Sunday, frenetic activity took place. By the time volunteers went home in the middle of the night, various booths were taken down and the entertainment tent was emptied of all it tables and chairs, thus ready for the tent company.
Yesterday, the tent company came out to take down the various tents.
Today, the street sweepers should arrive and clean the parking lots. By tomorrow, with any amount of luck, it will look like a never happened and we will be able to return to normal. That begs the question, though: What is normal?
As Christians, our normal lives are full of ebbs and flows. Our normal lives can become quite frenetic or extremely calm. We always seem to search for that norm in our lives, though. That place were we are at peace in our hearts so that, whether extremely busy or at total stop, we find God in our lives.
What is normal, for a Christian, is not to be busy or to be totally relaxed. What is normal, for a Christian, is to be full of the love of God so that others see it in us whether we are at work or at rest.
FAITH ACTION: Search for that which keeps you rooted in your faith so that you have the energy to proclaim the Good News to those you encounter.