Peace Out!

Hello there!  Welcom back!  Yes, I'm talking to you, (and me too).  I feel like a owe you somewhat of an explanation for my delay in writing.  The beginning of this school year was rather difficult for me.  The loss of my precious grandmother was something I was not emotionally prepared for, and her death had a profound effect of me just as her life did.  Our church was experiencing the aftershocks of some very difficult changes .  I know those issues may not seem as monumental as they felt, but it was not the way I planned on starting my year.  To top it off, my firstborn, Polly Kate, started Kindergarten!  How did that happen?  Where have the last five years gone? 

In the hustle and bustle of life, I think I've gotten off track.  I felt emotionally overwhelmed and physically drained.  Instead of trying to ground myself in Christ's love, I got caught up. We get ahead of ourselves.  We get lost in the struggle.  By the time we realize what's happening, we're stuck in the web of complacency. 

When we realize where we are, we often try to simplify our lives by removing distractions.  The problem is, we often don't remove the true obstacles.  When I was tired, I decided that I should get more sleep.  Seems logical right?  But, instead of going to bed earlier, I found myself hitting the snooze and sacrificing my quiet time with the Prince of Peace.  That name should mean something to us.  It is significant.  I can't tell you how much of an impact it made when I shared the first fruits of my day with Jesus.  My time of peace with him each morning kept me centered throughout the day.  But my neglect of that time robbed me of my peace.  I was tense and irritable.  Instead of molding my day around our time together, I found myself trying to squeeze God into my free time.  Between school, dinner, baths, Jewelry, books, music lessons, etc.  Turns out, I don't have any free time! 

There is a light at the end of this tunnel.  Regardless of how I tried to shut him out.  God's love never failed me.  I was never alone, even when I tried to convince myself of such.  We all get off track.  Different circumstances may breed turmoil, but the results are the same.  This feeling of of suffocation, wondering where our next breath will come from.  The need for harmony, order, and reconciliation can only lead us back to the Prince of Peace. 

And what better time of year to help bring things into perspective. Christ was a marked man from birth.  Our fleeting problems cannot even begin to compare to his struggles.  A life of duress.  Yet, the man who was maked for death, overcame and offers life.  His birth wasn't just a display of the miracle of life.  His birth made the miracle of love possible.  In that love, lies the peace we seek so desperately.  A peace that comes when we stop trying so hard to attain it. 

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:  not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  John 14:27