Art is Order, Life is Chaos: It’s Okay to Mourn Our Losses, Cry, and Crumble

One of my favorite teachers in grammar school, Mary Hyek, taught our fourth grade class, “Life is order, life is chaos.” She did so in a theatrical way, but realistically applied it to lessons in history, mathematics, and science. It has stuck with me over the years and has proven itself over and over. If you doubt it, just look at the current events in politics.

Every soldier knows that the battle plan is not the battle. Volumes have been written about the fog of war.

Every athlete knows not every play is successful, no matter how much they are paid or how many hours they practice.

Every cop knows that no matter how hard they train and prepare, no matter how well they are equipped, it doesn’t always go down on the street the way it’s expected.

Every doctor knows no matter how well educated they are and how advanced the technology is, the patient doesn’t always respond the way they predict.

In all cases, the results can be heartbreaking.

“Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’”
-Matthew 26:39

Jesus knew the truth of it when he faced death on a cross. That’s why he did it…he made order out of the chaos of life. It was the ultimate in courage and bravery. He didn’t face death without fear. He even sweated droplets of blood. But he did it with faith that his Father would make sense of the carnage.

That is our challenge…to accept that our ways are not God’s ways, and to learn to accept the pain and suffering in life knowing that somehow order will be achieved. It’s okay to mourn our losses, cry for those who leave us, and crumble under the tragedies of senseless heartache. Jesus cried for his friends, but he continually taught that the Father was an artisan with a plan of salvation.

Art is Order, Life is Chaos…

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Michael Kelly

Michael P. Kelly is a retired police sergeant from the Huntington Beach Police Department in southern California, with 30+ years of law enforcement experience.He served in a variety of assignments in uniform, administration, and supervision.He developed expertise in training personnel with an emphasis in defensive tactics, officer survival, and critical incident management.He served several years in media and intergovernmental relations.At the time of his retirement, he was assigned to the department’s Professional Standards Unit (otherwise known as Internal Affairs). Two years before retirement, Mike was diagnosed with cancer.Thanks to the Lord's blessings and a team of good doctors, he survived the ordeal after major surgery and a battery of chemo and radiation treatments. Subsequent to retirement, he taught academy classes at the Golden West Community College Criminal Justice Training Center in Huntington Beach, CA, and worked for the California Commission on Police Officer Standards and Training as a course evaluator.Mike has done volunteer ministry work for his local Catholic parish, as a teacher of adult and school-age formation classes, and as a member of the Pastoral Council. He has also conducted public speaking presentations about his spiritual life as a police officer and cancer survivor. He authored a suspense novel entitled For Sake of the Son, which was published in 2013 and is well received by readers who have responded with five star reviews posted by online retailers.He is working on another project for future publication. Mike resides in southern California where he celebrates a successful family life as a husband, father of two successful sons, and grandfather to two rambunctious boys…all of whom he considers his greatest blessings.

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