If peace is something we crave, perhaps we should be willing to work for it.
Yesterday’s post was about cutting back on the Christmas chaos in order to really bask and appreciate the reason for the season. Today, I wanted to write a little about peace within our homes. How peaceful is your home and your home life? I really believe there are things we can do to create a more peaceful existence in our personal spaces that can spill out elsewhere.
I think the first question we ask ourselves is how do we begin our day? Do we hit the snooze button three times and then in a panic, run screaming metaphorically, through our morning all the while screaming literally, at our family members and continue to scream at other drivers on the road, in order to get to work on time, stressed and frazzled before it’s even 8:00? If so, perhaps it’s time for a change.
Believe me, when I say I really like to sleep and I don’t like getting up early, but I’ve learned over the years, that my life is so much more peaceful when I build myself a time buffer in the morning. Rushing causes stress for the entire family. I always make sure I have clothes that have been ironed and are ready to wear and I make sure the kids’ clothes have been put out the night before too. I’ve learned that I can rarely stay awake through 10:00 shows, but due to the wonderful inventions of DVR and On-Demand, I don’t have to. We have conditioned our children the same way. Backpacks are packed and papers are signed the night before. It makes for peaceful mornings.
Peaceful mornings help lead to peaceful days. I also learned from my mama that it’s nice to come home to a clean house, and a little pick up the night before helps to make that a reality. She also refused to leave the house with dishes in the sink and it drove me crazy as a kid. But, now I get it. You leave the house and go out into a world that’s anything, but peaceful. When you return home, you would like to walk into order, not chaos. You don’t want to have to walk in assaulted by a list of chores that need to be done.
While these things seem to be kind of trivial, if you are struggling with peace within your home, I highly suggest giving them a try. A little planning the night before can produce amazing results rather quickly. Having the evening meal planned or something cooking in the crock pot or even frozen ahead of time, makes transitioning from the hectic outside world to the peaceful world of your home easier too.
And finally, I can’t stress enough how very important I have found it for my sense of peace to start the day off with prayer. I try to begin my first thought of the day with thanks to God for allowing me to wake up another day here on planet earth. Then I thank Him for my hubby and kids and for heat in the winter, and lights, and that we have food for breakfast. Starting off the day with thanks creates peace for me. I then ask Him to show me how He would like for me to shine my light for the day.
I dare you to try it. It really does work. Try to work in some type of daily Bible devotion too. You can have it delivered on your phone. You can read it with your morning coffee that you now have time for because you got up earlier. Peace is something we have to work for. We have to take time to make it. We need to remember that we have an enemy who delights in chaos. Maybe Advent is an ideal time to create a little more peace in our own lives.
If you are struggling, give it a try. You won’t be disappointed.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂