PEACE LIKE A RIVER!

In Phil. 4: 6 and 7, it is written, "Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything.  With thankful hearts, offer up your prayers and requests to God.  Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand; and this peace will control the way you think and feel."


Years ago, I worked with a younger woman who had great serenity  in all she did.  I admired that and told her, "I hope to one day have a serenity like yours."  She laughed, then said, "I doubt that you will ever be serene, Jo!" I think she meant to compliment me, but I saw the value in her serenity.


Besides that, I think she was wrong.  With God, anything is possible.  I do feel serene; I am at peace.  Sometimes, sure, I still fall over the edge, passing serenity, but there is a great change in me from years ago. I don't mind so much being the "friction" once and awhile for some important reason, but prefer the peace I can emanate to others through prayer and caring. For the most part, I am at peace with myself and God.


God, I am thankful to you for fixing my heart upon you, for helping me to see the needs in the spirits of people around me and for helping me to bring your Spirit back into their focus--and my own.  Lord, I feel so much joy and blessing for this new peace and trust it to help me to interpret my thoughts and feelings according to your will and purpose.  Let my peace flow always to others--like a river, steady and sure, lapping up upon shore after shore.  Amen.


Caution: It is easy to believe you have changed, when in reality, a person can slip right back into a less peaceful situation.  When Jerry and I first moved to MN, we were in a good place, certain God had led the way. The prayer fit, as did the verses above it. Today, I hunger for the words to reflect the truth, but finding a new way to live, in a new place, I find my attitude has slipped a bit.  It isn't that my serenity has left me, but rather, I must work harder to keep it. So, for this day, I shall work the work of keeping my serenity, because I belong to Christ Jesus and I am at peace with God.


I hope and pray the same for you.


Jo INMN