Thriving in Chaos

Our family is in the middle of a move. I say in the middle of a move, because although we have officially changed residences, there are dozens of unpacked boxes in multiple rooms. We’ve got painters painting multiple rooms and flooring installers coming on Monday. It’s chaos.

Rooms that are not in chaos soon will be as paint dries and new rooms are started.

No one in our family handles chaos well, but of the four of us living in it, I do better than most.  But even I am struggling this week. So yesterday morning, I decided to reinstitute my quiet time which had been sorely lacking for the last few weeks.

In that time, I am finding a little bit of peace.

This morning, I started day 2 of Priscilla Shirer’s devotional, Awaken. It’s titled, “What Do You Have?”, and she references the poor widow who visits the prophet Elisha asking for help (see 2 Kings 4). He listens to her plight and then asks her, “Tell me, what do you have in the house?”

I was reminded that though my house is in chaos, I have a space that is not chaotic. It’s small – one end of my bright orange couch, an ottoman and the end table next to it. I’ve claimed that as my space and from it I can see one of my favorite chairs. It’s enough.

Priscilla points out, “How easily we point to our lack. How specifically we highlight our deficiency. How quickly we become consumed with the glaring evidence of all that’s working against us, the hardships that are pressing us into such desperate straits.  We are far less inclined to accentuate the gifts and blessings that remain.”

Today, I am blessed for what I do have in the house – a quiet corner of a bright orange couch, the end table which has enough room for my coffee cup, writing utensils and water bottle, my ottoman and my loving puppies laying next to me.

I am blessed.