Moms live a good bit of their lives in the midst of chaos.

The chaos of new babies, sleepless nights, reordering relationships, adjusting to giving and overwhelming needs.

The chaos of rushed mornings, spilled cereal, fighting siblings and forgotten homework.

The chaos of teen years, broken curfews, long and loud discussions on life and faith, distraught sons and daughters trying to make Big Decisions.

And for those of us who have moved – the chaos of moves. Boxes halfway to the ceiling, giveaway piles growing, organization an impossibility, and tears an inevitability.

In the midst of chaos how do we have grace?

My cousin Judi is right there in the middle of the last described chaos. She is in the midst of a move back to Russia, a place she has made home in the past. But no matter how much she knows this is right, knows the decision is a good one, there is chaos in the between.

How do we have grace in the midst of chaos? I have asked myself this a million times. It’s easy for me to pose the question right now – I’m not in the middle of chaos, but Judi is.

I think back to the Old Testament, to the Israelites camping in the Sinai Desert. There, in the center of the camp, in the midst of all the humanity, the grumbling, the chaos of hundreds of people with all their ‘stuff’ was the Ark of the Covenant – the presence of God.

What an amazing picture! The presence of God, the power and goodness of God – there in the middle of all of life; not on the outskirts removed, but in the center, the Living God in the middle of the camp.

And though we no longer need the Ark of the Covenant, we still need the presence of God; the presence of all that is holy and light and lovely mixing with all that is fragile, weak and chaotic – all that is us.

And I am convinced that just as so many years ago He was there in the midst of chaos, so he is today. God spilling out grace in the midst of chaos.

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