Let’s see…
- A new place to call home,
- A global pandemic,
- A chaotic, topsy, turvy, absolutely wack-a-doodle political scene,
- Streets filled with people protesting against racial injustice,
- A record-breaking wildfire burning eight-and-a-half miles from the city limits of my new community,
- A cable TV company tearing up nearby streets and yards to install new service…
Hmmmm, I wonder… what else can I add to my world to make it just a little more CHAOTIC?
Hey! I know! What about a complete remodel of our kitchen and dining room?
THAT’S the ticket!
As I cower here in my upstairs study/office/sanctuary, I can hear the sounds of a wall being broken down, followed by a wet/dry vacuum cleaner sucking up the drywall detritus, followed next by the sound of tiles being chipped away with a hammer.
Yes, the door is closed, but the sounds and vibrations carry through quite clearly.
And besides the clutter, dust, and noise, we are now cooking in a microwave and eating on paper plates since the stove and dishwasher have been pulled out.
This project was supposed to start mid-summer and be finished by Labor Day. Thanks to the aforementioned global pandemic, absolutely EVERYTHING about this project was delayed.
I know, I know… “first world problems.” For sure.
As I sit here in the middle of this chaos, dust, and confusion I found a certain song coming to mind. You might know it, too. It is called, Find the Quiet Center.
And it goes a little like this…
Come and find the quiet center
in the crowded life we lead,
find the room for hope to enter,
find the frame where we are freed:
clear the chaos and the clutter,
clear our eyes, that we can see
all the things that really matter,
be at peace, and simply be.
This certainly is a time when we could all use a “quiet center,” isn’t it? Whether your kitchen is being remodeled, or your kids are driving you crazy, or your job is teetering on the brink, or your mental and/or physical health is in jeopardy, every one of us yearns for respite… even if only for a fleeting moment.
Of course, there are many options when it comes to coping with the chaos of life, aren’t there?
We can flee (or attempt to).
We can deny.
We can anesthetize with drugs, alcohol, sex, or mindless entertainment.
We can grit our teeth and stoically suffer.
Or we can seek out and enter the “quiet center” God offers us.
Once God spoke to the embattled Israelites through Isaiah’s mouth and told them, “As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you…” (Isaiah 66:13, NRSV).
Eight hundred years later, Jesus looked out sorrowfully on the chaos of the city of Jerusalem and lamented, “How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Matthew 23:37, NRSV).
The Good News for today is: regardless of the particular circumstances any of us face right now, the quiet center we so desperately need is indeed available.
AND it is actually even closer than you think!
Abundant blessings;
Russellings of the Spirit 