Personal peace is a choice.
I once had a dog, Sadie, who was terrified of thunder. The minute the first rumbles started, she would begin pacing. No amount of talking to her, or petting her, would calm her down. We eventually had to put her on anti-anxiety meds during thunderstorms. Yes, I had a dog who was on Xanax.
But, we really didn’t have much of an alternative. She weighed 115 pounds. Calming an agitated dog that size, was not an easy task. And if a thunderstorm rolled through during the night, nobody got any sleep.
The most frustrating part of the matter was that she was never in any danger. She was always completely safe. We were just unable to make her understand that. She lived with an unnecessary fear.
How often do we react exactly like Sadie did? How often do we walk around white-knuckled and terrified because there are thunderstorms raging in our lives that we just can’t understand? We didn’t plan for them. We didn’t expect them and when they occur, we are terrified.
Sometimes the storms are short-lived and we are frightened for a little while and when they pass, we go right back to living exactly the way we did before they popped up. We could take the time, when they pass, to seek some peace and be ready and calmer for the next round, but we often don’t.
Nope, it often takes a full-blown tornado; think of situations like a cancer diagnosis or a marriage ending; that make us really seek the one source that can truly calm our terrified hearts. By the way, the solution doesn’t come from the pharmaceutical companies.
Peace comes from a close walk with Jesus. He was called the “Prince of Peace,” before he was even born. He told his disciples, “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
Peace is also a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
So, why is it so hard for us to be at peace? Maybe it’s because as Christians, we so often forget that although we live in this world, we are not of it. We focus most of our time on our physical selves and not the spiritual; that’s the part that lives forever.
We get caught up in life’s storms and like Sadie, we are needlessly terrified.
I ran into a friend of mine at the grocery store yesterday. I hadn’t seen her all summer, but in the spring, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was angry. We talked about it at the time, and I assured her that was normal. She finished all of her treatments and has healed.
When I saw her today, she was a different person, all smiles and so much at peace. We talked about her future plans for work and she was looking into different things, but she said she knew God has a plan. She was completely at peace.
She survived a tornado. She held Jesus’ hand and he took her to the other side. She learned that the storms really aren’t that frightening after all, as long as she has her faith.
Unlike my dog, we have the ability to choose peace. My friend did. I think it’s worth pursuing.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂