I was a strange child! Growing up in Missouri I learned early
on to appreciate and fear thunderstorms.
Stormy Saturdays were some of my favorite times, especially in the
spring. On these dreary and
darkened days I would lock myself away in my room and organize my closet! Not the expected response, I
understand! My love for
organization and order began then and was largely a result of living with a
very spontaneous father and oppositely grounded mother. Dad would throw a trip together and I
watched as my mother struggled to make it happen all at the last minute. I have since learned to embrace my
Dad’s carefree lack of planning and my Mom’s careful planning.
Another organizational marker for
me was after I was married and living in Texas next door to an Army drill
sergeant. One day, I found myself
needing to borrow something from him.
As I followed him out to his shed, I had no idea the glory that was
about to be revealed to me.
Opening the dismal shed, he stepped inside and put his hand instantly on
a clear plastic bin that contained the item I needed. My mouth gaped as I looked around me at the pristinely
stationed clear plastic bins stacked floor to ceiling. Each one was labeled notating its
contents on the outside. He had no
difficulty finding the item. From
that moment on, I decided I was going to do things very differently!
Now to my confession, I have many
areas of my home and life that are organized and probably about equal that are
extremely unorganized. For
instance, I am a recovering self professed pack rat! Our garage is full of boxes containing memories and mementos
that I cannot seem to part with.
This is my summer project!
Do not mistake me for an expert or one with strict or legalistic ideals about
organization. I am just like you,
looking for any place I can bring control and order to the chaos of my own
life. This all begins with
the realization that I must accept, embrace, and adapt to the chaos of my life
in order to take it captive.
First, I have to accept that
there is chaos and there always will be chaos as this is the nature of a fallen
world. My definition
of chaos is a created state of mind that causes confusion and disorients the
purpose of the mind. Practically
speaking, the purpose of the brain is to control all bodily functions, however,
it also sorts, filters, and categorizes information. God has given us our own laptop to use for His glory. When I begin to become overwhelmed by
my thoughts, I have to stop and ask myself if I am creating an environment that
is breeding confusion and disorientation.
If the answer is yes, then I know the chaos I am feeling is something
that I have created and never Godly because I Corinthians 14:33 says that God
is not a God of confusion but of peace.
Second, in spite of the chaos
around me God is still moving. He
works in and thru me in all ways and in all experiences, including the chaos of
life. He is more concerned about
his creation (me) than my circumstances (chaos). In fact, He could be allowing some of it in order to reveal
something to me about myself or I could be creating it by not allowing Him to
be in control.
Watch for part two of Taking
Chaos Captive for practical tips to embracing the chaos of life.
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