Month: June 2023

Living out in the country has its benefits.  I was looking out the window one day when a fluttering appeared in front of me and this yellow bird perched on the bush outside the window.  It sat there for a few minutes bestowing a peaceful song on me as it looked right at me as if to make sure I was listening.

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart.
And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.
So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
John 14:27, NLT

There are gifts we would like to give to people but might not be fitting or they might be beyond our means to purchase.  But there are gifts of ourselves that always fit and can freely be given. 

“So Jesus said to them again,
“Peace be to you;
just as the Father has sent Me,
I also send you.”
John 20:21

Bestowment of peace is that moment when you feel His peace descending in your spirit.  Bestowment is a word that we don’t use very much today.  It means the act of conferring an honor or presenting a gift.  As it is used in this sentence then, peace is conferred or presented as an honor or a gift.  It’s not something we earn. 

Picture yourself lying on a gurney awaiting surgery.  You just want to get it over with.  Then the anesthesiologist administers the chemicals that will put you into la-la land.  Ah!  The physical peace descends as your body rests.  You feel it coming and then you’re out of it and relaxed.  God’s peace is somewhat like that in that it descends upon us and we can feel the difference in our spirit, but it doesn’t knock us out like anesthesia does. It calms us and gives us a sense of security in Him, feeling His presence close to us.  It’s like a spiritual shot in the arm.  It gives us that boost of spirit that we need.

Bestowment comes in many forms.  The photo I used above was taken close to 20+ years ago and yet I remember the scene and feel its peacefulness as if it was a moment ago.  Pictures are so important to help us remember moments of life that might escape from our memories.  I love to sit down and look through the photos on my computer once in a while.  Over my lifetime, I had black-and-white photos, then color slides, Polaroid photos, and color photos, but they cost money to develop, took up space, and no one ever wanted to look at them.  So when digital cameras came along, I was happy to transfer most of my photos to the computer which saved money and space.  No one still ever asks to look at them with me, but at least I have the memories available for me to enjoy.

Cards and letters are also memorable bestowments—yes, the old-fashioned paper and ink handwritten kind!  While I haven’t saved any letters, I do save a few cards for a time.  If I kept every card I ever received, I could be accused of being a hoarder.  Pulling open my desk drawer and seeing some of the recent cards from family and friends bestows a smile and sense of peace on me as I enjoy the pictures and read the kind words in the cards.

Along with the bestowment of peace comes bestowment of God’s blessings on our lives.  When we follow Him, He blesses us with good things as well as His peace.  Take time today to take a chair outside or sit on a park bench and not only soak in the sun’s rays but also soak in the blessings God has given you.  Not sure what they are?  Think about what God has done for you lately and then thank Him for it.  We don’t think enough about what God does for us…at least I don’t.  So this year in my journal, at the end of each day’s entry, I include “Today God…” and then think about my day and what God has done in my life today.  It makes me stop and think but also makes me aware of the little things that God bestows on me every day.

A fresh soft snow feels peaceful to me.  It’s quiet and makes no noise falling to the ground.  It’s pure, white, and clean.  Snow brings different kinds of blessings to different people.  If it’s a big snow, to kids it may bring the blessing of a day off school and the opportunity to go sledding or build a snowman.  For me, the blessing reveals itself in the beauty it adds to the earth, and the refreshing cleanliness when it covers up the dirt, the grass, and whatever else it lands on.

As I’m writing this, snow is a long way behind as well as off in the future, and the weather is completely opposite of Winter snows.  This past Winter we did not have a lot of snow where I live.  But the memories of past snows are still a blessing.  I can remember back to when I was a child and we were all snowed in our homes after a blizzard, waiting for snow plows to clear the road. 

“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26

God shines His face on us and pours down His blessings in spite of heat, snow, and other unfriendly weather conditions.  He blesses us with food, clothing, shelter, friends, church, and so much more.  He keeps us in the hollow of His hands.  I often think He must have the biggest hands possible to keep us in the palm of His hands, but I’d rather think of Him as so big rather than too small.  God is gracious to us as He pours out His loving care on us even when we blow it and turn our backs on Him.  He watches us carefully to keep us in line.  He looks into our face and sees the concerns, the emotions, the hurt, and whatever else is there, but He doesn’t walk away and desert us.  He is right there waiting for us to call on Him for help with those things that are present in our lives. 

The blessing of peace is when peace comes just when you need it and reminds you He is near.  At times when I’ve struggled with some issue or have been sick, it is such a blessing to get a text, a phone call, an email, or a card in the mail letting me know that someone is thinking about me and praying for me.  It’s then that I think to myself or tell that person I needed that today!  Through other people God shows me that He is near.  He prompts them to send me a message of love saying that I matter to them and to Him.

When you’re having a bad day and someone contacts you with a word of encouragement, that’s a blessing of peace.  Take a moment and thank them and God for it.  You never know when the next blessing will come, but I kind of think that if we remember to be thankful for them, they just might come a little more often.  Humanly speaking, the more appreciative a person is of an act of kindness, the more likely we are to do something for them again soon.

Think for a minute in reverse, if you will.  If not one person ever got in touch with you or did anything for you, wouldn’t it cause you to feel lonely?  So when someone does something nice for you, it can remind you that God is near and is acting through that person.  Obviously God is near whether we realize it or not, but we need that audible and visible reminder that He is near and He uses people to make us aware of His presence.

So today be a blessing of peace to someone who may need encouragement or assistance of some kind, and if you are the person in need, reach out and allow God’s people to come alongside you and be a blessing to you. 

Sorrow comes in various circumstances.  Its timing is never perfect.  It often brings more sorrow upon sorrow.  My father died of heart issues after escaping death multiple times.  This left my mother with a big piece of property full of junk to dispose of and days upon weeks of work to prepare her home for sale and move into an apartment.  It was enough sorrow for me that my father was gone, but add to that the sorrow of watching my mother not dealing well with the loss not to mention the mess he left behind for her to handle.  Then add to that sorrow, the sorrow all the memories for her and for me as things were tossed into a dumpster or sold.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,
who comforts us in all our troubles,
so that we can comfort those in any trouble
with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
II Corinthians 1:3-4

People think they’re being comforting and encouraging when they repeat trite sayings at a time of sorrow due to death.  You know the ones:  He/she is in a better place.  Or God doesn’t give you anything you can’t handle.  Is that really comforting?!  Sure, we know that if the deceased person knew the Lord as their Savior that they are most definitely in a “better place” in Heaven than in hell.  But does that make the loss any less painful?  No.  Of course we know God is always there and gives us strength to handle life, but at such times rather than empty words, the comfort of a loving arm, listening ear, or practical help such as meals and an extra pair of hands is extremely meaningful and comforting.

I always say that when I go through something, it is so that I can help someone in the same or similar situation down the line, and it never ceases to amaze me how true that is.  My mother went to be with the Lord less than two years after my father and I found myself once again going through the same earthly possessions that she kept from the house.  After that, I told my kids that they would never have to go through my stuff like that.  First of all, I don’t horde things like my parents did, and second, I tend to get rid of things I don’t use rather than keeping them. 

Peace in sorrow is when you’re at peace even when you’ve lost someone or something close to you.  After my mother died, I had a short turnaround time to empty her apartment to avoid having to pay another month’s rent.  I worked practically day and night to accomplish that along with help from family and friends.  In the midst of that, I was making arrangements for her funeral.  The night before the viewing/funeral was to take place, the funeral director asked me to sit down for a minute, and he told me how amazed he was at the peace and calmness I had.  This gave me an opportunity to share with him that it comes from Christ’s peace within me which of course being a non-believer he did not understand.  But that is exactly what peace in sorrow is—peace even while going through the sorrow of a loved one leaving us.  I knew I would see my parents again one day in Heaven, so it was more of a see you later than a good-bye. 

Sure I mourned their loss, cried a lot, and wished I’d had more time.  But the underlying peace is what made it bearable and what got me through.  So now when someone I know sorrows or needs comfort, I have my own experiences to draw on, and know what to say and what not to say, what to do, and how to comfort and encourage.  I can emulate God’s peace to others because of the peace I hold inside.

The bushes and trees were under stress because of the heavy wet snow, but they were at peace in the midst of their weight of stress.  It’s almost as if the branches knew that if they could just hang on long enough that the snow would melt and they’d be able to bend and wave freely in the breeze again.  It’s good to remember this example when stress threatens our peace.  If we just hold on a little longer, the stress will dissipate and we can move on once again.  I’m telling myself that right now as I deal with a particular relationship issue.

“Those who love Your Law have great peace,
And nothing causes them to stumble.”
Psalm 119:165, NASB

Does stress cause you to stumble?  It sure does me at times!  But I notice something about those times of stumbling.  That is when I take my eyes off Jesus and pay more attention to the stressful situation than I do to Him and the answers He has for me.  I stumble because I try to resolve it in my own strength.  Why?  Because I don’t want to have stress, strain, nor trouble, nor people thinking or feeling ill thoughts towards me.  I’m so busy trying to resolve the issue myself that I fail to learn the things God is trying to teach me in the midst of the stress and so I stumble.  That doesn’t mean the underlying peace isn’t there.  Peace is still present, but not as active and prominent as it is during the good times.

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me,
all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28, NLT

Peace in stress seems like an oxymoron, but inward peace during an outward stressor is huge.  If there was no heavy burden to carry, there would be no need for relief from it, no need for rest, and no need for peace in stress.  Sometimes it takes a heavy burden—whether physical or emotional—to get us to realize that we need to reach out for Jesus to relieve us of the burdens and give us rest and peace.

Two days ago it was the most gorgeous, sunny, bright, breezy day that we’ve had in a long time.  I enjoyed being out in the fresh air, driving with all the windows and sunroof open, and walking with the sun and breeze in my face.  But as I write this, we are experiencing a couple days of horrendous air quality like I’ve never experienced and it has forced me to stay indoors.  Evidently we are experiencing the effects of wildfires in Canada, thousands of miles away through the weather pattern, and the air is thick, hazy, and smells like smoke.  It reminds me of the eerie sky when a storm is approaching.  It really makes me appreciate all the more the gorgeous day that I enjoyed two days ago.  The peace knowing that God is in control is what gets me through these days.

What are some things that could help you get through times of peace in stress? 

• When I was working and stressful situations came up or people annoyed me, my peace in stress was a combination of knowing I would soon be able to go home and away from it, and knowing that it was only temporary. 
• Deep breaths (not sighs that actually fuel stress) can help stabilize our focus and calm our spirit and body. 
• A leisurely walk, especially by a stream or body of water, refreshes me. 
• Prayer is a necessity particularly in time of stress.  It keeps us focused on God and what He wants to accomplish through the stressful situation.  I’m sure there hasn’t been one stressful situation that God hasn’t wanted to use to teach me something, and I also know that I haven’t always learned the first time so He allows stress to return in one way or another.
• Talking with a friend for another viewpoint helps to see if there was something I did or said that contributed to the stress, and if there was something that could have been handled differently.
• Reading and memorizing God’s Word so that it is available for ready recall in the heat of the moment when it is most needed.  It may not be a verse ready to spout off to someone, but more of a verse echoing in your thoughts to keep you from spouting off.  Psalm 141:3 (KJV) is often a prayer of mine, “Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.” 

Whatever works for you to de-stress and maintain peace in your life is what you need to keep in mind when stress rears its ugly head.  Maybe picturing yourself in a peaceful setting could help, too, like floating on a raft in a pool, relaxing on a hammock in the breeze of tall shade trees, or sitting by a waterfalls.  They say that certain things can ground you such as petting your cat (works for me!), a favorite hobby, or a friend.  Whatever it takes for you, do it!  God can use it all to maintain peace in stress in your life.

Storms of any kind are destructive in one form or another.  A storm had come through and downed some big old trees at my parents’ house and they almost lost their satellite dish in the process.  But they were thankful that no trees or damage touched the house.

“He stilled the storm to a whisper;
the waves of the sea were hushed.
They were glad when it grew calm,
and he guided them to their desired haven.”
Psalm 107:29-30, NIV

When you feel God’s peace even while going through disturbances and trials…  That’s peace in storms!  At one point in my life I lived in a mobile home, and as anyone who has or does live in one knows, it’s not a safe place to be in the midst of hurricanes, tornadoes and other such storms.  A hurricane was pounding my area with wind and rain beating against my windows.  With no place to go, I gathered a few things and my cat, and hunkered down in a decent sized walk-in closet since my bathroom was on outside end wall.  I curled up with a book and prayed for safety through the storm, and God gave His peace in the storm.

Storms come in a lot of different ways than just weather-related.  Sometimes I think I prefer the weather-related ones because there’s usually a quicker end to a rain or snow storm.  Though there’s clean-up after a storm such as a tornado, hurricane, and such, at least you know it’s over and once the clean-up is done, you can get back to normal.  

What is your storm right now?  Is it a financial storm that’s eaten into your resources and you don’t know where the money is coming from to pay the mortgage or rent or even to be able to buy groceries?  That kind of storm is difficult because in a human sense you’re dependent on a specific source of income that may have been lost, reduced, or taken away.  But God knows all about it and can give you peace in the midst of your financial storm.  It may be through a neighbor sharing food from their garden, a friend inviting you over, an anonymous gift showing up in your mailbox, an unexpected check, or a job offer.  God can work in any way He chooses to meet your financial needs.  I know—He’s done it for me over and over again.

Are you in a relationship storm?  I’ve been there.  They can be more painful than some other storms of life and harder to resolve or renew.  It could be a child, a spouse, a friend, a parent, or a coworker.  They’re all hard and have their own quirks that make it even more difficult to fix.  If you do your best, remain calm, and keep the lines of communication open, God will give you peace in the midst of that relational storm.

Emotional storms are the worst, in my opinion.  Life happens and emotions are caught up in a whirlwind of activity, thoughts, and feelings.  You get confused when things don’t seem right, frustrated when it’s not what you thought it would be or what you want, angry when things are taken away from you, unsettled when you can’t decide what you really want in a particular situation.  I have to stop, write things down, review them, pray over them, and think through my emotions.  But to be completely honest, many times I’m still a ball of tangled emotions like yarn after my cat gets her claws in it.  At those times, I must get to the point where I’m willing to share them all with a trusted friend.

Some storms come at us over time.  You see them coming but are unable to abate the storm, hold it back, nor blow it away to sea.  Think of the Disciples out on the Sea of Galilee.  They thought it was a beautiful night for crossing the sea, but as was common for that area, a storm blew in faster than they could react.  There was initially no peace in the middle of that storm until Jesus walked on the water to them and calmed the sea.  Now THAT is Peace in a storm with a Capital P!  Only Jesus could appear out of nowhere, walking on the water, and calming a storm on the sea.

Fear is the biggest factor in the loss of peace in the midst of a storm.  It’s a natural reaction to the unknown, but it doesn’t have to be the place we get stuck.  Reach out to Jesus for peace in the storm and the fear will diminish in His presence.  I’m preaching to myself here because fear of things, people, and situations get in my way far too often, though I like to say it’s just me being cautious and careful to stay out of harm’s way. 

So whatever storm you’re surrounded by today, give it to Him and let Him calm the storm, work through it for your good, and give you peace in the midst of the storm.