Peace Offered When We Call Out

There are days when I fight feeling hopeless.  Not an all-consuming hopelessness: pull the shades, draw the covers, the sky is falling hopeless. I have had seasons like that; most often connected to a death…death of a friend, expectation, or dream. There’s finality in that kind of death and it’s awful.

I’m finding there is another kind of hopelessness.  It isn’t so brave as to show all it’s colors. It’s muted, shadowy, unexpected; the voltage isn’t as severe as death. But I am coming to learn, prolonged exposure can cause greater damage.

For years, I prayed for my son with disabilities….to be healed, protected, given justice, exposed to less pain, welcomed, befriended, at the least…simple kindness. How big of an ask is that…to be treated better than an animal?  Too much for God?  Nope.

But the years have unfolded not as I expected.  Jon hasn’t been healed of his challenges, he struggles to make sense of most things, and has his heart broken more times than I can imagine. I held his quivering hands today; once again we were at the foot of the cross.

Maybe the Lord hasn’t healed Jon-as I think of healing-because a greater work is at hand.   Paul wrote from a prison the words penned in Philippians 4:6-7:

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Jon and I prayed for a peace that goes beyond and exceeds anything we as humans can understand. This peace, GOD’S PEACE is beyond our ability to manufacture, to build on our own.  God’s peace doesn’t come from circumstances, finances, measures of success or earthly defined value.  God’s peace takes up residence in every heart that has accepted how limited the human heart really is.

Just as I prayed with Jon today, I pray for you each day.  I pray that God’s peace will fill you in abundance; outside of all human abilities to understand will be given to you. I pray that your heart is surrendered to His will, not your wishes.  As we move forward, may the light of Christ and the peace He offers shine through you.

Let Me Hear from You

I hope my words above encourage you to examine your faith in Jesus. If they do, share with me what you discovered this week.

 

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