Living on the Edge of Chaos

Randy and I have been “wandering” with our suitcases and backpacks since 13 October. We have “camped” out in Senegal and Mali, several homes in the States, a home and a room in South Africa, and two rooms in Zambia. The only stability is my husband and my coffee plunger! While wandering, rather intentionally, I have attempted at least to maintain a routine of having a morning cup of coffee with my Bible and prayer.

In a blog I’ve been following, called Cross-Cultural Moments (http://culturalmoments.blogspot.com), Elizabeth Abbot wrote, “Living on the edge of chaos is a ‘paradoxical state of unresolvable contradictory forces’ and the tension between these forces ‘elicits creativity and innovation.’” Well, I’ve been living on the edge of chaos for quite some months and have found myself scrambling to establish some form of normalcy so I can think rationally!

However, Elizabeth’s thoughts give me pause. God certainly allowed our present state of affairs, if not actually launching this nomadic journey. So He must have something in mind other than just teaching me how to bring some order into our lives. I wonder what creativity and innovation God would like to produce in the midst of this rather disordered life style? And if I haven’t seen it yet, I can expect some marvelous outcomes in and through our lives.

So, here I am. I’m looking for the precious surprises God has in mind. I want to see him take what has been an emotional drain and transform it into his creative purposes for his glory. Yes, I still want my morning cup of coffee and prayer – but I welcome whatever else he has around the corner.