Chaos! That is how I describe my current situation at home. I’ve been taking out the winter decor and replacing it with something more springlike. In the process, I piled the replaced items on the table, the countertop or the floor. After a few days seeing my house in disorder, I was losing my peace of mind and felt a little crazy. I paused to evaluate what was going on inside.

It came to me during our Sunday morning worship service. As I listened, I heard the Lord speak, “Chaos,” into my mind. As I meditated on it more, I realized it isn’t the BIG things that cause the trouble. I respond differently to major events. It’s the accumulation of little piles along the way. It is my response to the collection of bits and pieces that distract me and keep me from living a joy filled life.

¹⁵Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard of love, for the grapevines are blossoming!

Song of Songs 2:15

I know, I know. The verse is from the Song of Songs and it’s about love. How will I ever apply that to every day life and stacks of home decor?

My relationship with Jesus is what is at stake when I don’t keep the foxes out of the vineyard. Scripture compares that relationship with marriage. I think it fits perfectly.

Foxes come in many forms. This week it was my piles of stuff. Another day it will be something else. For my daughter, it is the twists and turns of selling a home and preparing to build. It might be raising children, job responsibilities, health issues, family conflict — possibilities are endless.

What does it mean to catch the foxes? For me, it meant taking a bit of focused time to put away the decor items I wasn’t using. For my daughter, it meant capturing thoughts before they swirled out of control. The enemy just loves to take the little foxes and push them to run through your life creating chaos and disruption.

Today I invite you to identify the chaos. Where is it coming from? What are the foxes? What would it take to catch them?