Finding God in the Chaos: When Life Feels Overwhelming

In Mark's Gospel, we read about Jesus and His disciples caught in a fierce storm on the Sea of Galilee. While the disciples panicked as waves crashed over their boat, Jesus remained peacefully asleep. When they woke Him in desperation, He simply spoke to the wind and waves: "Quiet! Be still!" The tempest ceased immediately, leaving the disciples amazed at His authority over turbulent circumstances. This scene captures something profound about how Christ operates in our tumultuous periods - not always by removing the difficulty, but by revealing His presence within it.

Recently, I've found myself juggling multiple projects at work, my head spinning as I try to manage competing deadlines and shifting priorities. Yet somehow, amidst this professional whirlwind, I still carve out time to write these reflections, have meaningful conversations with my children, and simply think. Is this exceptional time management or divine intervention? Perhaps both. I'm beginning to understand that God has positioned me exactly where I need to be, even when that location feels overwhelming. These challenging periods aren't accidents or punishments - they're opportunities for development, instances when He moulds our character and deepens our reliance on Him. Just as a potter uses pressure to shape clay, God often uses the turmoil of our lives to refine us, teaching us to find His peace not in the absence of trials, but in His companionship through them.

The key lies in intentional acknowledgement rather than passive gratitude. Instead of only thanking God when the confusion subsides, we can learn to recognise Him in the midst of mounting pressures and competing demands. This might mean brief prayers between meetings, appreciating His strength when our minds remain clear under stress, or simply pausing to notice how provision appears exactly when needed. God's plan for our lives often includes these intense episodes, not to overwhelm us, but to reveal His faithfulness in ways we'd never discover during calm periods. When we learn to see His hand in the mayhem rather than waiting for the stillness, we begin to understand that He hasn't put us in the wrong circumstances at the wrong time - He's positioned us precisely where we need to be for His purposes and our transformation.