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Christ in the Chaos is the first book by author Kimm Crandall and it has been one of the most formative books in my motherhood journey. Kimm helps mothers understand how the gospel changes the way we respond to the chaos of raising little ones. Over and over again, Kimm encourages her readers with the beauty of Christ as she repeats the gospel message. I really appreciated Kimm’s humility in sharing her own motherhood moments that were marked by sin and how God used those moments to make her more like Christ.
One of the aspects of Christ in the Chaos that encouraged me in my mothering was the continued reminder of Christ’s righteousness. Regarding this Kimm wrote, “By his own sacrifice, Jesus has already pleased his Father completely on your behalf. This beautiful truth can bring you endless freedom. It may seem hard to believe – your reasonable self may want to reject it as an insane act of grace. Indeed, God’s Grace is too outrageous, too impossible to comprehend, but that’s exactly how we know it completely destroys our ‘try harder’ and ‘do better’ law. God’s Grace leaves us with nothing of ourselves but all of Jesus,” (pg. 32).
Another aspect of Christ in the Chaos that I appreciate is the brevity of the chapters and the questions that conclude each one. The book contains a total of ten chapters and the questions included make it perfect for group or individual study.
I am also deeply grateful for Kimm’s level of humility. In this day and age of mothering, many of our examples, especially on social media, tend to consist of a humility that appears veiled and polished. Kimm’s humility includes her sharing motherhood moments where she felt angry and acted on it. She identifies such instances as sin and then uses them as a catalyst to encourage other moms with the hope of the gospel.
While I’ve identified with other Christian mom authors, I found myself closely identifying with Kimm. Since reading Christ in the Chaos, I have been constantly preaching Christ’s righteousness to myself. As a result, I’ve observed a desire to sin less which has contributed to increased peace and joy in my heart. For that, I am especially appreciative.
Christ in the Chaos is full of hope and encouragement for moms who, like me, often believe the lie that their right mothering is their means for righteousness. About this Kimm wrote, “God calls us to live out our holiness, not by relying on our performance – trying harder and working feverishly to produce our own good works – but by walking in the holiness we already possess through the Holy Spirit,” (pg. 80). This was a humbling and helpful reminder for a Type A, perfectionist mom like me who thrives off of achievement.
I really enjoyed Christ in the Chaos and am grateful for the many ways in which it has helped free me from the burden of mom guilt and remind me that my righteousness is in Christ alone.
