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Like the skin of an onion, it’s only the outer layer.  Peace goes deeper.

Onions have several layers.  The outside one is a protective layer.  It keeps the dirt off of the part we eat.  It holds the onion together.  Then there’s a thin layer that reminds me of plastic wrap.  Neither one of those layers are palatable.  Once you get past those layers, it’s time to start cutting (and crying! 😊).  You may want to cut the onion in thin slices for a sandwich or chop it into small pieces for a soup or casserole.  But it’s still an onion no matter how you choose to cut or use it.  A  bit of trivia:  Onions are one of the foods that the Israelites remembered enjoying when they were in Egypt.

We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing,
the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.
Numbers 11:5 ESV

Peace sometimes comes in the form of a protective layer that doesn’t look (or taste) very pleasant so you ignore it or push it aside.  That isn’t peace! you say.  But actually it might be.  Let me explain.  There was a ministry that I was interested in participating in.  I spent countless hours reading about it, studying, taking classes, and interviewing.  I was sure it was what God wanted until the last interview when I wasn’t accepted.  That did not feel like peace.  It felt like rejection and turmoil.  As time went on and I processed it all and moved on, I realized that it actually was peace.  Why?  Because if I had continued and been accepted, there would have been heartache and pain that I wasn’t able to see in the future.  God protected me from taking a step in the wrong direction and gave me peace.  Sometimes an onion looks good on the outside, but the further you cut into the middle, you may find a spoiled spot.

Then there’s the clear plastic wrap kind of peace.  You can see through plastic wrap to what’s underneath it.  That kind of peace gives the illusion that peace is on the other side of that clear layer presenting itself so well.  I try to take people at face value until they prove themselves otherwise.  I’ve had to back out of friendships because the person lied to me, gossiped about me, or stabbed me in the back (figuratively).  I thought they were good people until I got to know them better.  Their plastic wrap bubble looked good, but it hid what was underneath the next layer.

Now we get down to the “meat” of the onion.  This is where the flavor and smell are.  I cannot cut up an onion without crying!  Sometimes it’s just watery eyes and I can get through, but other times depending on the potency of the onion, I can’t even see what I’m doing because my eyes are so full of tears.  Who says eyes and nose don’t work together?!  Peace is like that.  At times it can be a minimal momentary refreshment of calmness and quietness in our hearts.  Other times it is an overwhelming peace that seeps into every pore of our body and mind.  It’s not just a feeling, though.  It’s a deep lasting spirit that permeates our whole being and cannot be destroyed…just like the Israelites’ remembering the onions in Egypt.

Next time I’ll talk about where to find peace…stay tuned.