Joy in the Chaos
Table Talk
Setting the Table
You are welcome here. The Spirit of God is gifting you great joys in little things. Take a couple deep breaths, grab yourself a cup of coffee, light a candle, sit in the glow of your Christmas tree lights – do something that brings you comfort.
Remember that there is an eye in every hurricane, and an end to every storm.
“Almighty God, are you true?
…You say yes, I suppose, the only way faith can ever say it if it is honest with itself. You say yes with your fingers crossed. You say it with your heart in your mouth. Maybe that way we can say yes. He visited us. The world has never been quite the same since…”
- Frederick Buechner
He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm.
- Mark 4:39
Food for Thought
Right now, I am sitting in my bedroom, staring at all my belongings scattered across the floor. That’s where they live right now – in suitcases, boxes, and random piles across my room. I’ve just moved into this bedroom, and am slowly piecing together my furnishings and belongings. Personally, it drives me crazy! I don’t like clutter. But currently, what feels so difficult about the clutter is that it somewhat represents the state of the rest of my life – everything feels kind of thrown together and a little makeshift until something more permanent can take its place.
I was lamenting this while on the phone with my sister recently, and she asked, “Well, how can you find joy in the chaos?”
What a weighted question!
For some of us, it’s not so hard to find joy in the chaos of our lives – in our cluttered rooms, the busy schedules, the holiday festivities and obligations. We’re easily able to discover that the joy in our lives unquestionably outweighs the chaos, and with a little refocusing and deep breathing, we can get through the frustrations, relish and share all the joy our hearts can muster, soak in the twinkly lights and carols, and take up the charge of being happy and merry.
However, for others of us, being asked to “find joy in the chaos” can feel insulting, insensitive, and even impossible. For there are those whose chaos sits far deeper, far heavier, than a cluttered bedroom. There are many whose worlds have been upended by loss, war, violence, illness, and isolation; for whom the chaos seems to have no end; for whom this time of year, especially, can bring anything but joy.
In those situations, finding joy in the chaos feels less like a challenge anymore, but a necessity. For what other option is there, but to be overtaken by the chaos?
So, then, how do we do it? How can we find joy in chaos – even when it feels impossible?
Consider the story of Jesus. While, today, the joy of Christmas can sometimes be displayed with the most elaborate of fanfare, I imagine that the joy of the original Christmas had to be more of a choice. A choice to look past the current circumstances – past the fear, the fatigue, the lack of resources, the confusion, the physical discomfort, the agonizing pain – and toward the blessing that was to come on the other side of it.
That choice for joy has become part of the story we tell still, thousands of years later – the origin story of how a savior came into the world to love us, to comfort us, to guide us through times where the chaos feels overwhelming.
So for me, as I face the hurricane that is the current state of my bedroom, I will choose to find joy in the fact that I am fortunate enough to have clothes to clutter up my floor. I will choose to find joy in that I have an exciting new chapter unfolding before me that has yet to be written. I will choose to find joy in this chaotic, in-between time because I know that one day it will be my origin story – the origin story of whatever awaits me on the other side.
When your chaos runs deeper than a cluttered room, or even a cluttered life – if you feel like your chaos is insurmountable – I truly believe the same choice can be yours. But my friend, remember that even when you find it difficult to choose joy, joy chooses you. God chooses you. God loves you and will meet you wherever you are. One day, when you get to the other side of where you are, you will get to tell the origin story of what you went through to get there. For God has calmed the chaos before, and God will do it again.
Take some time to imagine a world where joy is abundant. Choose one thing you can do to offer a little of that joy to someone else.
There are resources in our communities that can help meet us amidst the chaos in our lives. If you or someone you know are finding yourself particularly overwhelmed this season, local community centers, senior centers, faith-based communities, and teen/youth centers can often point us in helpful directions toward care and assistance.
For a printable version of today's reflection Click Here!
If you are looking for a few ideas to create a more welcoming space this holiday season, here are Five Things to Remember When Setting a Welcome Table for the Holidays.
Blessing
God of Joy,
Meet us where we are. Find us in the chaos of this world and settle our hearts. If there is joy in you, may we know it enough to claim even a bit of it for ourselves.
Amen.
A little Table Talk for your table...
Where are you noticing that things are chaotic in your life? In the world? How does this affect you?
Does joy come easily to you these days? In what ways is it easier to find joy? In what ways does it feel particularly difficult?
What brings you joy? Are there ways to incorporate those things into your daily routine? If not daily, weekly or monthly?
Try taking it to the Kids Table...
What does joy mean to you? What brings you joy?
Do you ever find it hard to be joyful? What helps you find joy again?
What do you think brings joy to others? How can you spread that joy in the world?
Meet Our Welcoming Voice!
June Dare Bunce is a native North Carolinian and one of the founders of The Welcome Table. Outside of TWT, she’s been a professional actor for the past fifteen years and has had the honor and pleasure of working as a drama instructor for various organizations and non-profits. When she’s not working on a script or at the office, you can either find her at the gym or on the yoga mat, walking around whatever town she’s living in, or working on the art of relaxing at home (it really is a skill).
To hear more from June throughout the week, follow along on our Instagram!