Order in the Midst of Chaos

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. We're planners. Neither of us seem to have the spontaneity gene. Going for an ice cream cone after church on a summer evening or driving to the beach to watch the sunset is about as spontaneous as we ever get. We understand that some people are spur-of-the-moment types, but that's not us. Routine is our comfort zone, and we don't find it boring. That doesn't mean we can't handle a change of plans. We may not always like it, but we can handle it - if we have to. Maybe it's because we've both had so much change thrust upon us unexpectedly at different times in our lives that we resist it so much now. Whatever. All I know is that we're both totally out of our comfort zone this week. We've spent many years planning and so much time working on our home, and it's difficult to see it being dismantled one board at a time. Plus, living in a construction de-construction zone is not really fun for anyone.

As I was in full OCD-mode when cleaning up the kitchen after dinner last night, I'm sure people would have thought I was totally nuts. I was doing what I always do - polishing the sink and stove top, making sure the coffee pot was sitting exactly where it must be, checking that the antique well bucket was perfectly centered on the island, etc. Meanwhile, chaos was right there - right there - literally - within inches of me. 

I snapped these photos this morning, but you get the picture. I was standing there fussing over the tablecloth on the dining table to make sure it was hanging evenly - and I couldn't even walk around the table! 2 of the 4 chairs are blocked off! 

I almost had to laugh at myself. Of course, that didn't stop me from repeating these rituals this evening. I guess I still need a little bit of order in the midst of all the chaos.

I added a new feature to the blog last month - Bible Verse of the Day. Today's verse was Psalm 59:16: “But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.” It got me to thinking about how God is our refuge - our shelter or protection from danger or distress. We're feeling some distress as we go through this spray foam fix, but it's wonderful to know that God is our shelter! Our house hasn't burned to the ground or been flattened by a twister. It's still standing, and we'll surely get past this bump in the road. Our immediate plans, schedules and routines have been altered, but Romans 8:28 is true. This will all be good in the end if we get this problem corrected, right? Right!

I know I'll continue to vent about this issue on the blog until we get our house and our routine back to normal because it's a problem that shouldn't have happened, but that doesn't mean we've lost faith or that we don't trust the Lord will get us past this. We KNOW He's with us every step of the way, and we're thankful that He's helping us maintain our Christian testimony by treating the crew with kindness and even a little humor. This crew didn't create the problem, and they are working hard to fix it, and we're very thankful for that. 

All is still well (with our souls) in the Keweenaw.