Day 25: Peace in the Presence of Turmoil
/John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.
I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Shadow Proves the Sunshine — Switchfoot
You know how we wouldn’t have light without darkness? I talk about this in episode 4 of Praise Through It. And same with shadows - they prove the sunshine. Hence the Switchfoot song lyrics.
It’s the same with peace. We got around trying to find things that will make us feel peaceful. We think we need to escape to a desert island. We get the itch to travel somewhere new. We buy this and that, we eat this and that, we watch this and that. All with the goal of bringing peace into our lives and into our hearts.
Well, just like with light & dark, shadows & sunshine, the peace arrives a) because of the turmoil; and b) often in the midst of turmoil.
Peace arrives because of the turmoil: would we know peace if we did not know discord? No.
Peace arrives in the midst of turmoil: if the turmoil were over, would that be true peace? No.
The trick is finding it right where you are. Walking on the sure ground that all will be well because your life is in God’s hands, and if it’s in God’s hands then all will be well. When? I don’t know. But it will be because he says so.
Finding peace in the midst of turmoil is like finding the other sock that was eaten by the dryer monster: it’s frustrating and darn near impossible, even though you swear you both of them in. We think we can achieve peace on our own but we just can’t. There are too many external factors that shift like the sand at high tide.
Walk to the cross. Ask for his peace. Accept it. Rest in it.
How, you ask? I don’t know your specific situation but I know this: God’s peace comes to us in little gifts along our path that remind us of His goodness. Good health. Laughing babies. Gluten-free/dairy-free/soy-free chocolate chip cookies. Sunshine. Green grass. A bonfire. A friend. A hug. Look for the gifts. Mr. Rogers said look for the helpers; look for the gifts, too.
May you accept those gifts as peace. May you rest in it. And may you remember that eventually, all will be well.
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Episode 4 of Praise Through It talks is Eventually: the Light. What happens when the light & dark seasons get mixed up? What happens when we expect light, and instead the darkness surprises us? Where do we go with that? Listen anywhere you listen to podcasts (or read on with the transcript here) to find out some thoughts on what to do when a dark season surprises us.