Chaos & Shalom

Last night at church our pastor spoke on prayer-- about asking for God's Kingdom to come here on earth- as it is in heaven. 

About being in the NOW of things- but expectantly believing in the things that are to come. 

He spoke about how life is often chaos, but that it is so delicately intertwined with shalom (shalom is more than just the idea of peace, but the idea of wholeness and delight)

I just couldn't help but soak in the words he was saying. To smile as he spoke, completely grasping his message. Because it so beautifully described what we are living right now. 

Our lives are a beautiful blend of CHAOS & SHALOM

Last week we were invited to a halloween cookie decorating day. It was three moms, a 2 year old, a 19 month old, Emmaus and a little bitty baby boy. 

It clearly was a bit of chaos. 

I planned and brought extra clothes for Emmaus because I wanted her to be able to participate. I knew full well she would make a huge mess, that her lack of fine motor skills would make "cookie decorating" a very loose term.  But It was important to me despite her delays I let her try. 

And a mist the chaos- in the table covered in frosting, and the floor covered in crumbs was shalom. I wasn't sad at her lack of ability to manipulate the cookie, or stressed about her sticky frosting covered self. Instead it was peaceful, the experience was whole, and delightful.

We can't control our lives- we have to just live in the now, soak in the chaos and shalom & hope for what is coming.