I clicked the On This Day feature on Facebook this morning and laughed. On this day, several years ago, my husband and I had gone through all of our clothes/belongings and gotten rid of things we no longer wanted/needed. I laughed because we are doing the same thing this week. It’s funny that in the process of going through everything, how much our house looks like a war zone. Hangers everywhere, Christmas decorations all on the dining room table waiting to be put back in storage, toys, new Christmas presents waiting to find a new home in the house. The old is mixed in with the new and bags of no longer wanted items are bagged up and ready to find a new home. It seems chaotic really, this entire process. But, I’ve done this before and I already know the end result is worth it. There will be a sigh of relief on my end whenever things are cleaner and more organized. Inevitably, John and I will go through this process again. It’s a monthly thing with a one year old. It seems like with each growth spurt my heart overwhelms with pride mixed with sadness because babies don’t keep. But, it’s part of the process.
This morning as I look around and see chaos, I know that it is for only a brief season.
I can see the end from the beginning.
This must be how God sees things as we go through seasons of life that seem chaotic. You know, those moments where He seems nowhere to be found? It’s in those moments He is sorting things out in our lives — getting rid of things that are no longer beneficial to us, so that He can make room for the new gifts that He knows are beneficial and useful for the current season we are in, or the next season we will be in.
As we embrace this process, going through the not-so-fun stages of life, I believe we will begin to experience and enjoy the progress that will ultimately bring us to the end result.
Always remember, that in the middle of chaos or a storm of any kind, God is well able to fill your heart with His peace. I don’t know how He does it, but I’ve experienced it, and I know He is able.
“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”
The Message – Philippians 4:6-7
Summer in November 