Grace in Chaos

My sister-in-law Sonya is reading a daily devotional called Voices of the Faithful and is praying through the book with me in mind, specifically. I had already read the book a year before and it wasn’t entirely meaningful to me, but it is now. Several days ago Sonya told me her reading for the day was teaching precisely what I was dealing with. Namely confusion, and how I am going to cope with it. Part of me wants to withdraw from people who think I am stupid because I can’t understand what they are saying yet. I also don’t know what to do with others who may have questionable motives behind what they ask of me. So sometimes, I just don’t know what to do.

Here is what the book said; “Sometimes I am confused by language, sometimes by culture, sometimes by tradition, and sometimes I am just plain old confused. In any given situation, there are many right answers and approaches, and there are just as many wrong ones. When the chaos reaches maximum proportions, I am tempted to quit. So why stay? The answer is simple. God has given us a glimpse of His vision clearly stated in Revelation 7:9: ‘After this I looked and there before me was great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.” It is the power of God’s vision and His grace that sustains us, renews us and keeps us focused on our calling.

So whether your own personal chaos is two little Ethiopian children that won’t let you sleep, like Dave & Sonya. Or maybe your chaos is a life that whizzes by so fast that you are too exhausted to put effort into the very things God says are most important. I am going to try to look for glimpses of God, rather than try to piece together a two-year picture. At least that is what I need to do for now.

-BZP