Chaos and Opportunity

So as many of you know, I changed my major from Entrepreneurship to Finance this past year for several reasons, none of which are relevant to this post. One of the things I have learned after switching over is a phrase that primarily relates to the state of the economy and trading on the stock market. That phrase is “Where there is chaos, there is opportunity.” I don’t know who said it originally, but I do know that its implications hold some truth both economically and spiritually.

At first I never really thought about it outside of an economic point of view, but the other day I began thinking about it from a different perspective. I decided to stop putting God in the box that I so often placed him in and look for Him in even the most odd and chaotic of places. For example, the other day I was working at an orphanage called Casa Hogar Douglas, which is just down the street, and I found myself in a discussion with the captain about the very broken pasts that many if not all of these kids have, and my mind went directly past all the powerfully bad things we so often focus on to the ridiculous potential that God has for these children, HIS children. Their broken lives are such an opportunity for Him to show up and show off. God really has a great plan for each and every one of them. I mean I can’t help but give praise, even amongst the direst of circumstances. There is just such an opportunity for God’s glory to shine through that it isn’t even funny.

While I never initially thought about whether or not this concept is biblical or not, it turns out that it can be found in the lives of some of our favorite characters. Lately I have been reading through 1 Kings, and I just recently covered a couple of stories about the incredible life of Elijah. The story that strikes me the most in reference to this is when Elijah, much like us, falls prey to his doubts and runs off into the dessert to hide from his enemies. After some angelic prodding, Elijah ended up in a cave after an incredible 40 day journey on only one meal. It is here that he is instructed to listen for God:

“The LORD said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.” -1 Kings 19:11-13

Isn’t it funny that God had Elijah go out into His presence (which was present the whole time, but He actually "passed by" at the whisper) but yet his small whisper is what we are intended to look for amidst all the other chaotic events? I just love how God does things that sometimes just don’t seem to make sense to us, but truly end up bringing Him SO much glory. What a comfort to know that God is always there throughout all things, and is in control of all things, even things like strong winds, earthquakes and fire! What a challenge it is to fight our human nature and seek out His still small whisper rather than focus on the negative…

In regard to that small whisper, I will just say that my past week was quite hectic, and there was certainly enough chaos to go around, which is a big part of the reason I haven’t updated my blog in awhile. Even so, I can truly say that God was still very present, and I am quite confident that He whispered to more than a couple of us during the week. Amidst the challenges there was great opportunity for growth, and we as a team, heard the whisper and embraced it. I couldn’t be more proud of my fellow interns and staff for our perseverance through the challenging moments.

Just to quickly recap the past week, I worked mainly at a children’s home called Imperio de Amor (IdA, or empire of love) where we began digging an L shaped trench which will serve as the footer for a wall on one side and a fence on the other. I know that doesn’t totally sound logical, but it would if you saw it. We also sealed a lot of the concrete roofs on the other buildings. The sealant goes on AND dries bright white which reflects the sun a lot. Let’s just say that I definitely got some sun while doing that sealing. =)

Outside of working at IdA, the group and I worked on campus a little bit and took our kids to a sweet place called Kidzania the other day. (I SERIOUSLY wish I had one of these places as a kid. You should check it out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidzania, http://www.kidzania.com/). Also of note, I finally got a chance to go on a good run, which ended up being 8.5 miles long. I will admit that I was certainly sore the rest of the day, and the following days. As of yesterday, I am officially signed up to run a 10k on July 5th. There is no backing out now! It should be pretty exciting, especially since it’s my first long race ever. If you want to read a little about the race you can go here: http://monterrey.usconsulate.gov/euamexico10k.html.

Looking ahead, we have three groups this week totaling around 60 people, so it should be a little bit lower key. I am excited to get to work and to get to know the group I am with. Yet again I can’t wait to see how the Lord will work this week, even if it means calmly sifting through the chaos to see it.

I will be posting some videos and whatnot from the past week here very soon. You're gonna love it!