The Night Is Normal Quotes

“Fear disguises itself as realism, and we invite it to the table. Fear presents itself as troubleshooting, and we welcome its wisdom. Fear offers itself as a prophet, and we sit at its feet to prepare for our future.”
― Alicia Britt Chole, The Night Is Normal: A Guide through Spiritual Pain

“Grace overcomes shame, not by uncovering an overlooked cache of excellence in ourselves but simply by accepting us, the whole of us, with no regard to our beauty or our ugliness, our virtue or our vices. We are accepted wholesale. . . . Accepted once and accepted forever. Accepted at the ultimate depth of our being.[1] Many of us feel shame not for our too-badness but for our not-good-enoughness.[2] Grace heals our shame . . . by removing the one thing all our shame makes us fear the most: rejection.[3]”
― Alicia Britt Chole, The Night Is Normal: A Guide through Spiritual Pain

“How often is disillusionment with ourselves inspired by unrealistic expectations of ourselves? And how often are our expectations shaped not by our God, but by our anxiety, fear of rejection, perfectionism, pursuit of favor, or tendency to measure ourselves comparatively? Yes, growing can be uncomfortable and even embarrassing. But theologically, growing should not be shaming.”
― Alicia Britt Chole, The Night Is Normal: A Guide through Spiritual Pain

“When we are disillusioned, we too must resist isolation. Even in loss—especially in loss—we are stronger together than alone.”
― Alicia Britt Chole, The Night Is Normal: A Guide through Spiritual Pain

“Clearly, He delights in our use of them. But thinking is not the same as trusting. And trust—with or without understanding—is how we follow God through the night.”
― Alicia Britt Chole, The Night Is Normal: A Guide through Spiritual Pain

“We weaken—not strengthen—our faith when we silence sincere questions. Faith in Christ is not an airy substance that rests on unquestioning souls. Biblical faith is muscular, thickened more through trials than ease.[2] To strengthen our faith in God, we need to be honest when we are disillusioned with God.”
― Alicia Britt Chole, The Night Is Normal: A Guide through Spiritual Pain

“The same can happen in our relationship with God. He does not bite, but life sure can. Shocked that God did not protect us from the pain, we easily isolate ourselves from Him. In self-protection, we distance our hearts from faith, hope, and even love to avoid further disappointment.”
― Alicia Britt Chole, The Night Is Normal: A Guide through Spiritual Pain

“Though often excused with “I’m just being honest,” it seems to me that cynicism is more about interior discontent than honesty. Honesty is a means of honoring reality, whereas cynicism is a focus on any negative at the expense of all positive.”
― Alicia Britt Chole, The Night Is Normal: A Guide through Spiritual Pain

“Our generation no longer capitalizes truth; we keep it small so that we do not offend. And so, we cheer one another on to “find your own [small t] truth,” unconstrained by history, logic, or even evidence. Because, after all . . . who really knows?”
― Alicia Britt Chole, The Night Is Normal: A Guide through Spiritual Pain