Finding Calm in Chaos
By Martha Stringer
In my house there is a clutter problem.
Everywhere I look there's stuff. Unpaid
bills and school papers litter my kitchen
counter. Refrigerator magnets anchor take-out
pizza coupons alongside a budding Picasso's
artwork. Baskets of folded laundry wait
patiently by the bottom step to be carried
upstairs and unloaded - their contents returned
to the rightful owners. And the shoes…..
Ah yes, the shoes. Five pairs of feet live
in this house. Five times that many shoes
are visible at any given moment. We have
school, play and church shoes. Snow boots
for winter and rain boots for spring. There
are high heels, flats and wedges, cowboy
boots and clogs. Cleats for soccer and t-ball,
high-top sneakers for basketball. Shoes
are always underfoot: by the front door
and back door, by the TV and on the stairs.
No wonder the socks are hiding in the dryer.
Sometimes I embark on a shoe reconnaissance
mission - a strategically planned battle
designed to thwart the enemy of footwear
fray. Most of the time however, I just step
over them.
Maybe I am finally coming to terms with
the fact that family life is chaotic and
the chaos grows exponentially with the addition
of each pair of feet. It's a good thing
the newcomer (and their shoes) start out
very small. It gives us a chance to ease
in - to bend to the bedlam without breaking.
I think God knows all about confusion.
In fact, it's one of the tools he uses to
get our attention. He uses it to demonstrate
his faithfulness and the breadth and scope
of his power.
God promises us everlasting life when we
accept Jesus Christ as our Savior. Yet he
never made 'neat and tidy' a pre-requisite
for salvation. He doesn't ask me to conquer
the clutter in my soul - he asks that I
follow him. As I seek to know and obey him,
he deals with the clutter. I am reminded
of God's words in the Bible, "Be still,
and know that I am God." i
When the mess and mayhem are getting the
best of me I try to remember I'll find calm
in the confusion if I let his Spirit guide
me. For Jesus already walked in my shoes.
He knows the size of my feet and the path
I am traveling. When I veer off course he'll
lead me back. And when I'm weary, and feel
like one more step is one step too many,
all I have to do is ask and he will carry
me. He promised, "Come to me, all you
who are weary and burdened, and I will give
you rest."ii
Martha Stringer is a freelance
writer living in Yardley, PA with her husband
and three children. In addition to editing
and writing a personal column for her church
newsletter, she works part-time for a non-profit,
social services agency. Contact her at MStringer1463@aol.com
i Psalm 46:10
ii Matthew 11:28
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