weird is good

I’ve said it before, but that’s the motto for Team Sublett.  The other day Lilly mounted a little bit of a protest, stating that weird is just weird.  But I think we’ve got her turned around!

We don’t want to be weird creepy, or weird scary, or even weird for the sake of weird.  I’m not talking about Bjork and her crazy swan dress.  I don’t get that either.  There’s a reason behind our weird.

We’re sort of living in weird right now.  I mean, adopting a baby into our fam is a little weird.  We’re pretty far removed from the diaper bags and middle of the night feedings.  But it’s good.  It’s good for Amanda (the birth mom), good for our children, good for me and Kim, good for Charlie.  Weird is good.

Actually, it was that statement that Amanda claims confirmed things for her.  I remember telling her that one night over skype.  We were trying to give her a picture of our family, and how we approach life.  We talked about our faith, and how that faith has shaped our outlook and perspective.  We know that we’re not “normal;” and we’re happy to be on the path that God has called us to.

It was weird in the hospital for the nurses–they must not have had much experience dealing with an adoption like ours.  Amanda wanted us in the room with her, wanted Kim to stay through delivery, wanted me to cut the cord.  We wanted Amanda and her mom to get to spend time with Charlie in the hospital, even without us in the room.  We have a unique relationship with Amanda, and we’re happy about that.  It might not work for other families, but it works for us.

Weird is good.

It complicates things, sure.  It makes conversation and talking through situations important.  Weird means a slower process.  Weird is more involved.  Weird can feel uncomfortable, because weird doesn’t fit nicely into the prescribed roles and expectations.  Weird is the road less travelled, the uphill path, off the beaten path.  It’s full of unexpected detours and bumps in the road.

But there’s beauty in weird.  Weird is unique.  Weird means that time is spent learning one another, that priorities and intentions are different.  Outcomes and goals are different.  Weird takes us to unexpected places, full of wonder and awe.  Weird leads us to unexplored wilderness, and adventure waits behind every sunrise.

Our weird is based on the calling of God to be his people, shaped by his priorities and purposes.  We’re to be like light in the darkness–that’s unique.  That’s weird.  We’re walking a different path.  That’s weird.

Some folks might not get Team Sublett.  That’s okay.  We know that our family is different, weird even.  We are weird.

And weird is good.