My friend went to a bar because he lost his ticket to the concert.

The rest of us went inside and enjoyed an amazing show. Afterward we met him at the bar. He was chatting with a terrific young lady. They got married.

It was English poet John Keats (1795-1821) who is credited with saying, ‘Life is divine chaos.’ He was apparently trying to describe the reality of the disorder that surrounds us as it relates to the faith that there’s some higher purpose to it all.

This weekend begins the holy season of Advent. And on this first Sunday we are told to ‘be alert’ to the divine chaos of life.

We are challenged to be aware of the hand of the Almighty in the seemingly random occurrences in our lives. Be attentive to the fact that all that’s happening around us has heavenly meaning and purpose. Be alert to the divine chaos that surrounds.

While Advent is about awaiting the arrival of something new, it’s also about looking out for what’s new in the familiar – in what’s going on in the everyday.

Where’s the divine chaos in your world? How does that motivate us to love God and serve others?