Thank you, God, for chaos, life, and opportunities.
Okay, maybe "chaos" isn’t the right word. I’m not sure how to sum it up in one. In many ways, I’m thanking God for my calling—my job, my career. I like the chaos, or rather, the spontaneity of my occupation and my life. I know that doesn’t suit everyone’s personality, but it suits mine.
I like that my days and weeks are never the same. I like that a single phone call can change my day, my week, my month—even my life. As the joke goes, what other job allows you to officiate a wedding, perform a baptism, preside over a funeral, and handle a whole host of other things all in the same weekend?
For some people, this would be overwhelming. They prefer structure, predictability, and knowing exactly what they’ll be doing and when. I guess I like the unknown. Don’t get me wrong—on my grumpy days, the thought of punching in and out of a job sounds pretty appealing. The ability to leave work at work? That has its allure. But I also know I’d tire of it quickly. In fact, I changed my college major more than once because I couldn’t imagine being happy in a job that kept me inside all the time.
As a pastor, I welcome the call to be out with the people of my congregation and community. Please, God, save me from my desk! This past week alone, I’ve been in my office, on the roof of both the church and the family center, played pickleball, attended two denominational meetings, led a Bible study, and spent countless hours on the phone for a multitude of reasons. And the list goes on. I wouldn’t change it for the world. (Well, if I could take away the storm damage and other hiccups of life, I would—but even then, I get to help people.)
What does this mean for you, the one reading this? Well, we are all unique. Maybe you thrive on routine, and that’s great. But can you find ways to embrace a little chaos? It might be an opportunity God is offering you. Or maybe you're like me, thriving in the unpredictability of life. In my opinion, that’s great too. But can you find ways to embrace a little order? That, too, might be an opportunity from God.
I know it is for me. I can run around with the best of them, but it’s in the ordered moments of life that I can plan, dream, and hope—because sometimes, running around is just running around. At times, the most order I seem to have in my life is the drive from one place to another.
We all live in a balance of chaos and order. That’s life. But too often, we don’t recognize it as a God-given opportunity to step out of our comfort zones and discover the ministry God is calling us to.
What opportunity do you have to embrace the chaos or the order that might be a gift you’ve been ignoring?
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