When Chaos Falls from the Sky!

There are moments in life that happen so fast you almost can’t process them until afterward.

This was one of those moments.

A few days after watching our granddaughter, Indie Mae, laughing and splashing in the pool with pure joy, she came over to swim in our pool for the first time this past week.

Lizzie and Matt brought her over, and I was finishing vacuuming the pool before everyone got in.

The vacuum hose was still connected in the basket, so I was trying to wrap things up while Matt sat on the pool steps holding Indie. She was absolutely loving the water.

Smiling. Kicking. Reaching to go farther into the pool with her dad.

But she had to wait until I finished.

Lizzie stood nearby watching us when suddenly, out of nowhere, a group of Canadian geese flew overhead.

And then it happened.

What can only be described as airborne betrayal.

“Waste bombs” began falling from the sky.

One landed directly on Lizzie.

Immediately she started screaming,

“Oh my gosh! HELP! Matt! Did they poop in my hair?!”

Now to fully appreciate the urgency of the situation, you need to understand that Lizzie had just gotten her hair colored. Not only could she not get it wet… she definitely did not want wild goose conditioner worked into it.

As she’s yelling in panic, I’m simultaneously shouting,

“Don’t get in the pool! You’ll contaminate the water!”

Matt quickly stands up from the steps to go inspect the damage, still holding Indie in his arms. But in the chaos, he never looked down.

And in one glorious moment of distraction, he stepped directly into the pool basket opening.

Down they went.

Matt.

Indie.

Completely underwater.

At this point, Lizzie is screaming even louder:

“Save Matt and Indie! They’re drowning!”

And I just stood there.

Frozen somewhere between concern and uncontrollable laughter because all of this unfolded in about five seconds.

Now keep in mind: Matt is six feet tall and the water was only about three feet deep.

Two seconds later, he stood up holding Indie in his arms, and honestly, she looked like she had just completed a synchronized swimming routine. She came out smiling like nothing even happened.

And that’s when it hit me:

Life feels a lot like that moment sometimes.

One second everything is calm.

The next second chaos drops out of the sky.

Distractions happen. Panic spreads. Plans fall apart. Emotions rise. And before we know it, we’re reacting to everything around us instead of remaining grounded in what’s true.

How many times do we lose our footing because our attention gets pulled in every direction?

Peter knew this feeling.

In Matthew 14, Peter actually walked on water toward Jesus. But the moment he shifted his focus to the wind and waves around him, he began to sink.

The problem wasn’t the storm.

The problem was where his eyes drifted.

Isn’t that us?

We panic over things falling apart around us while forgetting the One still holding us steady.

What I love most about this story, though, is Indie.

She went under unexpectedly… but came back up smiling.

Why?

Because she trusted the one holding her.

Maybe that’s the invitation for all of us today.

Not to pretend life isn’t chaotic.

Not to deny the unexpected moments.

But to trust that even when life feels out of control, our Father still has us securely in His hands.

And maybe the peace we long for isn’t found in controlling every circumstance…but in trusting the One who holds us when we unexpectedly go under.