Jamie Kristen

Do not adjust your glasses or worry about mine. There is no error in the title. Read on…

The leaves are falling all around us, the wind is blowing debris here and there. If you don’t know what to look for, the world can seem chaotic and somewhat pointless. Let me tell you what I see.

I see leaves dancing. I see the powerful wind pushing away the dross. Everything seems pure to me. Carnal. Not bad. Just natural. I see a freshly cleaned slate. I see elegance in the madness and a Divine Plan. I see beauty in the chaos.

I love watching cake preparation videos–it’s probably a waste of time to some. What I love most is witnessing what appears to be a colossal mess that morphs into a praiseworthy masterpiece. If you judge the artistry/work too early in the process, all you see are errors that need editing and a lack of balance which must be righted. Seeing the near perfect (there is no such thing as perfect) finale requires patience and endurance. Witnessing the grand masterpiece–the magnum opus–requires first wading through the muck.

I am learning that I must BE. In order to survive the chaos (or better still–to thrive within it) and see the amazing finished work around me, I must be still. I must be patient. I must work my hardest at the tasks placed before me, while simultaneously calming my trepidation and finding peace in the storm. I am learning to watch and wait. I am learning to halt in the middle of the storm and just watch. Just be mindful. Just BE.

We must also learn to distinguish between peace and complacency. My hope for you today is that you are able to find beauty in the chaos and peace in your soul as you continue the–often hard–work of a life well-lived.