My freshman year of high school, I joined an indoor soccer league. If you know me, you may now place your palm under your chin and push slightly up to close your mouth. Whether you believe it or not, it’s true. I joined a soccer team named “La Pandemonium,” which means chaos and disorder. The team comprised of about 14 of my friends, 4 of whom actually had soccer skills. I was not in the latter category, and I knew I needed to harness a skill I did have— distraction (hard-earned after years of being an older sister and class clown). My methods included chatting up the other defense players, flailing my arms, and being really, really friendly with the guy players—some called it flirting, I called it strategy. It was not the most effective, but I held my own.
Chaos and disorder are sometimes avoided because there is so much unknown and hardly anything is predictable. There are times when chaos and disorder is like being in a sailboat during a hurricane. That’s terrifying and you just need to find a buckle and hold on for dear life.
“Living life committed to Christ does not always mean that our lives are peaceful. However, it does mean that we experience peace where it matters most—in the deepest, most truest parts of our souls and in the hope of eternity. ”
There are other times when chaos is just reality. Maybe life is moving at the speed of sound, you’re stepping on legos left and right, or you’re working multiple jobs to make ends meet. Those are the times when peace and quiet seem like a far away dream that only a select few get to experience!
There are other times chaos can make you feel so alive, because it means you took a risk! Instead of playing it safe, you stepped into the unknown, and as terrifying as that can be, it’s also exhilarating. This is the best kind of chaos—full of adventure and newness.
Obeying God is not always safe or free from pandemonium. Living life committed to Christ does not always mean that our lives are peaceful. However, it does mean that we experience peace where it matters most—in the deepest, most truest parts of our souls and in the hope of eternity. Someone told me recently about a family’s motto—”Safety third!” This made me laugh, but it also resonated with me. if safety from the chaos is our highest value, we may never experience the joy and peace that comes from following Christ into the unknown. Now that is livin’ la vida pandemonium!
Meet the Author!
Makenzie graduated from Wheaton College where she majored in Christian Ministry, Urban Studies, and Photography and somehow managed to apply all of her degrees to work in the real world! She has a passion for community development after years working in urban ministry in Chicago, non-profits in Austin, and part-time roles at CRBC the past 4&1/2 years. She loves being able to equip and serve the church and recently stepped into the full-time role as Minister of Missions at CRBC which includes both local and global partnerships. Despite being the missions minister, she is quite the homebody. She is an avid Harry Potter fan, loves Oklahoma City, and loves to be with her friends, family, and ADORABLE weenie dog, May.