“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.” John 14:27 (NIV)
My grandmother always used to say, “Life is like a rollercoaster.” Now that I am older, I can see the wisdom of this simple statement. Life is awesome, then it’s awful, and then it’s amazing again. And in between, it’s an ordinary, accustomed routine. So, how do we find peace in the middle of all the turmoil?
I can only illustrate this by sharing. Eight months ago, I had a job I hated, working in a toxic environment. Then I was in a car accident and fractured vertebrae. My life felt like it couldn’t get any worse. But during my recovery, I grew closer to God. Once healed, I retired and found a part-time job, which allowed me time to work on my writing. Later, life marched along a quiet daily routine: work, chores, and writing. But my marriage was great. My new job was excellent. And then my new grandson was born. And I felt like I was walking on water! But suddenly, I got sick. And every time I appeared to get better, I landed back in the hospital. And now, one of my close friends had a motorcycle accident and is fighting for his life.
So how do I find peace in the midst of all this? I have my family and faith in Jesus. After my car accident, my husband cared for me and took over all the chores. My daughter brought me meals. And my friends and family were my cheerleaders. Also, I sought God daily in prayer, spending time in the Word, and journaling. God’s peace filled and healed my broken heart while my broken body healed.
During my day-to-day routine days, I make time to notice and thank God for the rain, a beautiful sunset, or a gorgeous full moon. And I found joy in the time spent with my precious grandson. And while I was sick and quarantined, I poured over the Word and filled my soul with God’s promises. I also lived vicariously through the pictures and videos my daughter sent me of my grandson and let his laughter fill my soul. And today, after visiting my friend in ICU and feeling like my heart would break in half, I was surrounded by caring and praying friends. They always know how to make me smile and laugh despite my tears.
And life dishes out its share of tears. That’s why Jesus never sugar-coated how life would be. He said, “In this world you will have trouble.” (John 16:33) And who knew this more than Jesus? He suffered and died. But He did it for us because He loves us so much. He also said, “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.” (John 14:27, NIV)
Friend, you, too, can find peace in the turmoil of life. Just follow my lead.
- We can find peace by filling our hearts and minds with gratitude during amazing times. Start a gratitude list. There is power in seeing a list of God’s good gifts.
- We can hold tightly to Jesus and our loved ones during awful times. Sometimes this requires making an active choice to pray, dig into the bible, listen to worship music, or pick up the phone and call someone. But it’s a choice we won’t regret.
- Finally, we can remember to relax and enjoy the small things, never taking anything for granted while going through our day-to-day routines. Again, this requires a choice to actively look for beauty all around us. Beauty can be as simple as the sound of laughter or a smile from the grumpy clerk at the store when you say thank you.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the breathtakingly beautiful life you have given me. Help me remember to be grateful at all times. Help me throw up my arms and enjoy the crazy roller coaster ride of life, knowing no matter what I face, you are right there beside me. And when it gets too hard, you are whispering, do not be afraid; I‘ve got you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
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