Tripping Over Typeset

While ripping away at the weeds in my cobblestone path, I unknowingly ripped out an ant hill. The “unknowingly” part was short-lived as they began crawling between my toes and up my legs.

I had disturbed their cosmos; and in return, I began the “ant” dance to rid my feet and legs of their search for a new hill to take!

Life becomes this way at times. All is calm…moving steadily along. Everyone in our colony of life is performing their job and things are getting done. Smooth sailing…then something rocks our world. The unexpected rips away our calm life and chaos seems to reign.

Mondays are my catch-up day from the weekend.

In our life, the weekends blur into coming in the door and heading back out again. Shoes, bags and randomness are scattered through the house and dishes pile like carnage from the latest food frenzy.

This Monday was no different. I had just returned from staff meeting with my re-adjusted schedule and newly added items for the week when my eyes fell to the spill-over coming from the laundry room.

Why couldn’t this mess of a life be a sandcastle on the beach. We could let the tide come in and sweep all this carnage away with a swift lap of the sea and a fresh slate of calm would be left behind.

But alas, there’s no Calgon to take me away . Someone’s got to clean up this mess!

I sat down on the couch and whipped out my journal. Writing is my stress reliever. I opened to a new page and began listing the “To-do’s” along with the other junk filling my mind. As I added up my life of chaos, my mental stress rose… Where was the swift lap of the sea that could bring a fresh calmness?

I stopped myself mid-list…I’m making the wrong list! I don’t need to count out my stress and head-aches, worries and to-do’s.

My pen stopped and I began listing again:

“I rest in the peace of God which passes all understanding…”
“In my chaos of life, You God, are my rock and firm foundation. The One in which I build my life upon.”
“I rest in the unfailing, faithful arms of the One who shields, guards, protects and guides my path.”

My stress began to dissipate and His peace took root.

• Had my over spilling laundry been completed and folded? NO!
• Had my carnage of dishes magically been cleaned and put-away? NO!

But my heart had re-focused and I put back in order perspective and found myself giving thanks in the small.

Chaos can come unexpectedly. Events can rip away and disturb our world of an anthill. But looking down at the running ants in my cobblestone path, it didn’t take them long to refocus and burrow back down; setting their focus back on task and accomplishing their purpose.   I watched with amazement as they adjusted to their world being disturbed.

I hope to be like them. When disruption comes, may I not run chaotically, like I so often do, but instead:

• Refocus my attention to Him and His Word to me
• Rejoice in the plan laid out for me
• Give thanks for what is here and now

And even now as I finish this post, chaos begins to rise as the house awakes to a new day…refocus, rejoice, give thanks! (REPEAT)