Calm vs. Chaos

Right at this very moment I’m sitting down to write this and I’m hoping for an environment that will allow me to think and concentrate on what I’m writing.  It’s not happening.  There’s something similar to a mosh pit going on about 10 feet away.  Four boys ages 9 to 12 and a dog are all rolling around on the floor, doing I don’t know what, but it entails a bunch of laughing, yelling, screaming and barking and an occasional “MOM!  MOM! MOOOOOM!”.     It’s utter chaos.

Definition:  Chaos (noun) kay-oss  1.  Disorder; a state of complete disorder and confusion.  2. Earliest condition of the universe;  COSMOLOGY the unbounded space and formless matter supposed to have existed before the creation of the universe.  3. Apparent disorder;  PHYSICS the unpredictability inherent in a system such as the weather, in which apparently random changes occur, as a result of the system’s extreme sensitivity to small differences in initial conditions.

In a family household chaos is a common environmental hazard.  Sometimes the need to rise above it and have a little bit of peace and quiet is essential for some piece of mind.  As a mom, I have developed the fine art of being oblivious to a screaming child.  This is a recognizable trait in any parent (or even some aunts and uncles).  At a restaurant, where a child is screaming incessantly, you can weed out the moms and dads as those individuals that are not even the least bit annoyed with the outburst.  They just go right on eating and conversing like there isn’t a child with a full blown temper tantrum at the table next to them.

That’s what calm looks like.  It’s the ability to know everything is okay even if there are all sorts of noises going on around you.   This time of year brings some chaos along with it.  Unpredictable circumstances, disorder in priorities and extra responsibilities all can add to that frenzied feeling.  This should be a time to be calm and reflective, but sometimes that gets a little lost.

Let me go back to my current situation….the mosh pit in my living room.  It’s chaos, that’s for sure, but it’s also pretty nice.  It’s something of a Norman Rockwell moment when all of my boys start clowning around like that.  I’m not incredibly fond of the noise when I’m trying to do something else, but I can always just shrug my shoulders and say “Boys will be boys.” and leave it at that.  After all, these mosh pit moments are going to be something that I will miss and want to have back one day.

Christmastime has the same welcomed pandemonium.  It can be nuts.  It can really stress us out.  But if we are honest with ourselves, we would probably admit that it just wouldn’t seem like Christmas without it.  There can be a little bit of underlying joy in the fact that all of this craziness happens because of a bigger better reason.  There’s a tone of mystery and contentment with Christmas chaos.  Maybe it’s just time to sit back and enjoy the calm with the storm.

- you can read more of Beth's blog on www.theroadtofaith.com or follow her on facebook at www.facebook.com/theroadtofaith