A dear friend lost her twenty-something son to a drug over-dose, their grief is like a tsunami; they pick up the shattered pieces of life to face each new day, but their hearts have been devastated by an incalculable loss; the landscape of their souls will never be the same. We rebuild, sorting and sifting sorrow with great grace.
Not many of us suffer this kind of raw grief; we deal with the day to day irritations, frustrations and conflict, yet even these take their toll. Another expected winter storm drops inches of snow on all the surfaces of our lives and we wonder, "How do we keep going in all of this?" It seems we need some kind of snow removal, a sort of way to clear the path of our emotions; it is the unstable build up that blocks the artery causing heart damage.
Peace, deep and abiding, allows conflicts to rage without compromising our ability to continue in relationship. We can guard our hearts and minds with the peace of God; (Philippians 4:7) we can't understand it, but this peace assures us that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, not any trouble, hardship, storm or danger. (Romans 8:35) When we know we are loved we can survive anything; allow the love that God has for you to fill you and strengthen you.
Need peace to face the raging storm?
Medicine from Sacred Writings:
"Peace I leave you." Christ is all but saying, "How are you harmed by the trouble of the world, provided you are at peace with Me? For this peace is not the same kind as that. The one is external is often mischievous and unprofitable, and is no advantage to those who possess it; but I give you peace of such a kind that you can be at peace with one another, which is such a thing to render you stronger."
John Chrysostom Fourth Century
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