The Order That Emerges: Art, Parenting, and Faith

If you know me, you already know I’m not the person you’d call to organize your closet. Or your pantry. Or basically anything that involves a label maker. I admire those people; I just wasn’t born with the tidy gene. But lately, I’ve started to wonder if my “messiness” isn’t a flaw at all. Maybe it’s pointing me toward a deeper kind of order.

Here’s why. I saw a video that compared order and chaos using a pine branch. On one side was the branch itself, with needles stretching out in every direction. That was called “order.” On the other side, those same needles were plucked off and stacked into straight rows. That was called “chaos.”

The point was simple. What looks messy in nature, or in God’s design, often carries a deeper harmony. What we try to straighten out with human hands can sometimes be nothing more than the illusion of control.

And I thought, yep, that’s me.

 

Art: Emerging, Not Imposed

Take my artwork. From the outside, it might look chaotic: organic waving lines and swirls reaching out in different directions, colors that maybe “shouldn’t” go together but do anyway. If I forced myself to plan out every line and keep everything neat, the canvas might look more balanced and controlled. But it would not feel like me. It would not sound like my voice coming through. It would not feel alive. It would not feel like the branch; it would feel like the rows of needles.

What I love about painting is exactly that unpredictable, alive thing that emerges. I don’t paint to impose neatness. I paint to let something deeper come through. The order is emergent, not imposed.

 

Parenting: Rooted in Connection

Parenting has taught me the same lesson. Just as my parents did not follow every book rule or enforce order for the sake of appearances, I also choose a deeper order, the one built on connection, love, and trust with my children.

To me, that is more valuable than having things look neat or predictable on the surface. Rules have their place, but relationship is what roots us in something lasting. It is in that relationship that lessons are learned and hearts stay open. I do not claim to have it all figured out, but this way of parenting feels right and intuitive in my heart for us.

Spirituality: An Unconventional Path

My spirituality has followed its own path too. It has not always looked like the “proper” order some people expect. But through it all, I have found my deepest faith in God, in the universe, in Jesus’s teachings, and in the presence that holds everything together.

The thing that keeps me grounded is gratitude. It is my way of finding the true order inside me. Whether I am praying, painting, or just looking at my Austin sleeping  , gratitude is the thread that keeps me connected.

The Pattern Beneath It All

Here is where I land. Neatness is not the same thing as order. A row of pine needles might look tidy, but it is not a branch. It is not a tree.

The kind of order I trust is the one that emerges when life is allowed to grow its own way. It is not about forcing everything into straight lines. It is about aligning with the order of connection, love, and trust.

What looks like chaos is often the doorway to a deeper harmony.

I don’t have answers, but I love noticing these patterns and exploring these ideas. I would love to hear if you have seen something like this in your own life, or how it feels to you.