domino effect

"I used to try to anticipate every outcome, but I've come to realize God is sovereign and I need to leave that part in His hands" - Santa

The children dressed in their finest chancel-wear would give any children's choir a reason to quake in their Granamals if the contest was based on cuteness alone. That is, if there was even a contest (or they still made Garanamals). I guess what I'm trying to say is that the choir they called "joyful noise" was causing people to smile well before the first note left this wiggly crew.

As they began to sing, we noticed some unusual movement from the front row. It seems that one little girl, unwisely placed next to her slightly older brother, had taken to elbowing him...causing the aforementioned smiles in the congregation to turn to chuckles and the choir director's smile to fade completely. Of course this encouraged an escalating volley of elbows and an increasing shifting of the front row till one final blow by sis caused brother to go down and nearly the entire front row with him. Needless to say, it was hilarious.

It's called the domino effect.

It works positively and negatively. In Santa land we can be fast and efficient, all the while giving people an amazing experience with Santa that so many have said was their "best ever". However, when something happens, it has an effect on everything. It could be a troublesome parent or a difficult photo session or a team member that doesn't work their spot or one that doesn't even show up. People in these situations aren't considering the others in their world or how we as humans are so dependent on the other humans we travel with to keep up their end of the bargain.

If they don't, dominoes start to tumble. And we spend the next season of our lives trying to play catch-up.

There is, of course, an ugly flip-side to this. It's easy to become so consumed with responsibility that it eats our soul, inspires an obsessive paranoia, or simply results in burnout. This is when we can feel the weight of the world on our shoulders and our knees start to buckle.

This is, I believe, where this whole idea of God being "in control" lives. I don't see God as some kind of puppet-master relieving us of our freedom to choose - even to choose to make a mess out of things. I do believe that God sees miles down the road and asks us to just make the next good decision that lies in front of us and trust him with the results. He knows what our situation...and our hearts...require and is working to get us all there.

We just need everyone to play their spot well.

The things we do while on this rock with billions of others really do matter. Kindness breeds more kindness. Peace breeds more peace. Hate breeds hate and indifference...well, that's just the worst.

Jesus taught us that Love breeds more Love. It may not be the way we thought, but the way the dominoes fall is in the hand of God.

Our call is to put love into the world. he will make sure it comes back to us and spreads and multiplies.

We might have to get knocked down a few times on our way there.