Peace.

Two of the people closest to me have experienced great loss this week. They are hurting, and so I hurt.

If you had not noticed by a few recent posts, I am doing a study on the fruit of the Spirit right now. This week, peace.  Is it possible to have peace in the hardest times of life? It is, if you are looking for the peace of God. And I pray fervently today that my dearest friend and sister-in-law are able to rest in His peace. What I read today reaches to the heart of my prayer for them. In Living Beyond Yourself Beth Moore says,

"Please understand this vital point of peace: peace means the absence of fear and turmoil, not the absence of pain and grief."

Oh, how we wish that our lives could be pain-free and grief-free! Yet, that is not always God's way. It is often in times of pain and grief that we can look through to see His greatest glory ~ the glory of that peace that transcends our understanding, the glory of that peace that reaches beyond life to the depths of the heart, that glory of the peace that shows us that God is still here, still holding us during the times that the heart pains and grieves.

Peace. Jesus holding us in hard times.
Peace. God's calming hand on us while the world spins wildly around us.
Peace. The Spirit soothing our hearts while daggers seem to stab at its core.

"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)

Once again, God uses my beautiful babies to give me a picture of what He is teaching me.

These precious little lives know the peace of God. Their surrounding circumstances have no affect on their internal peace. They can truly rest in peace. Days before these pictures were taken, Winnie's life did not bring peace to those around her. She was found days before inside a plastic bag, tossed aside as trash. She was the center of turmoil, struggle. So was sweet Annabelle, found deep inside a pit latrine. Certainly, not a place of peace. Yet, these babies, in the midst of strife, sadness and struggle, can rest in the peace of God.    They   rest    in    peace.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." (John 14:27)

I pray for peace in the hearts of those I love. Though I would like to wish them a pain-free and grief-free life, my greater prayer is that they know peace.

Father God, reach to the hearts of our loved ones. May they feel your hand of comfort all around them. Let not their hearts be troubled and let them not be afraid of what life may bring in the days ahead. Rather, bring them rest, comfort, and peace. We trust that through life's turmoils and struggles, Your glory will be known and shown, that in You we have ultimate, unending peace.