I've read a lot of 'mom' books over the years, but very few have touched on how
the gospel actually impacts day to day life. After all, how can knowing that
Jesus died for you, provide any tangible help when you're surrounded by messes,
bickering children, and you just wish you could hide or preferably run
away!
Add to that mix, the nagging feeling that you're messing up your children, you then fall into the comparison trap, thinking if only you tried as hard as so and so, then you'd be a much more sweeter mom. If you're like me, you have tried and tried to do better, you've thought to yourself 'It must be that I'm just not a very good Christian, because everyone else seems to be so much more godly'.
Sadly, too many books (and now blogs) don't give you Jesus, they give you what you think you're looking for, tips, ideas, schedules, a 60 day plan to not being such a grumpy mom, with such a messy house, with such whiny children, after all that is what we want!
And although you're so thankful for what Jesus has done, right now, amidst the chaos, knowing you're going to Heaven 'one day' isn't that helpful (if you're honest).
But, the message of the gospel is so much more than a ticket to Heaven that leaves you with having to 'grin and bear it' while down here. And that is why I love this book, it is real, honest, and points me to Jesus, and reminds why the gospel (the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus) does actually have some bearing on every day life and is actually more helpful for living in this mad, old world than you probably have ever been told.
Christ in the Chaos is aimed at moms, but really it's aimed at everyone. The subtitle is 'How the gospel changes motherhood', but you could change that last word to virtually anything. Whatever sphere of life you are in, wherever you are at in your walk with God, this books is applicable.
I was disappointed at first that the book was short (I like to read!), but now I've read it, I'm glad that its not too long (plus it's such a reasonable price anyway), because it is something I am going to want to re-read again and again (because I forget the gospel again and again!), plus Kimm Crandall hasn't filled it with lots of fluff and padding, there isn't a wasted word, she gets to the point and doesn't give you page after page of gumph. It is *all* worth reading again.
There are several questions at the end of each chapter, which are useful and again aren't comprised of fluff! I'd have liked a little more to be written about the fact that it is God's grace that fuels our 'good works', Kimm does write about this, but because I personally trip up on this topic - I just wanted more said, as I can be tempted to think that if I was more amazed by God's love, then I'd respond and do more - so I then conclude I must not be amazed enough. But, as always the remedy for this is not to *look* more at myself and what I'm 'not' doing and then try harder to do more stuff, but to look at Jesus who has already done it all, and Kimm thankfully does makes this clear.
I do hope Kimm writes more in the future, because as I read through each chapter, I could feel the burden on my shoulders getting lighter, which is rare when reading a book on this topic.
You can buy Kimm Crandall's book 'Christ in the Chaos' from Amazon in the usual book form or for the Kindle. It is also available at the Cruciform site www.cruciformpress.com in various formats, at very reasonable prices. Cruciform also has quite a large sample of the book available for you to read.
(why the title of this post keeps disappearing I have no idea...)
