I used to think that if you did a, b would follow, closely tailed by c. That belief was blasted into smithereens by the time I hit my third decade of life. I’ve learned that doing a MAY bring b, or q, or something not even remotely related. I’ve learned in my life, my career, and my faith to expect the unexpected.

So why am I telling you this?

Well, a couple of weeks ago I promised you a blog about what editors do. And that blog is coming. But the last week and a half here we’ve been balanced on the raw edge of chaos. We no sooner avert one crisis than another rears its ornery snout and we find ourselves immersed in yet ANOTHER scramble to do whatever new thing needs to be done. All of which is why (a) there was no blog from me last week and (b) the blog on what editors do is still rattling about in my beady little brain and not on the page.

But here’s the thing…

As I was whining to God about all this, He reminded me that life isn’t interrupted by chaos. Life IS chaos. It’s messy and unexpected and custom-designed to decimate any schedule or expectation you may have set up in your effort to gain that ever elusive fable called “control.” And while that can be frustrating, and even a bit frightening (as we duck the falling rocks only to step into quicksand),  not being in control means it’s not up to us to fix everything. It’s not on our shoulders at all. It’s on God’s.

He’s the only one Who sees everything from beginning to end. He’s the only One who knows what coming and how we’ll each survive our part of it. AND—this is the really good news, so listen up—He’s at work FOR us. Not against us. Not in spite of us.

FOR us.

To refine and strengthen us, to create in us so sparkly a reflection of His son that we will dazzle those looking on.

So when your world seems to go off the rails, don’t try to jump out of whatever you’re riding in. Just HOLD ON. To the One who made the tracks, and your car, and you. And know that He won’t let you go.

Not for one second.