Peace Uninterrupted

...for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 

Philippians 4:11

The gift of Christ is as much about getting to know our Creator as it is about being forgiven. His  forgiveness is a grand invitation to draw near and trust Him with what's both inside and outside of us. Jesus, with His great love, woos us to let down our walls and loosen our grips to everything else we have ahold of. And like any other relationship, the bond grows as we experience both good and bad times together.  But unlike any other relationship, this process teaches us that our God is our one constant. 

This year my family has endured a lot. I had surgery. I nearly lost my husband to an illness. My son broke his hand. I was diagnosed with Meniere's. And then we found out my dad's cancer has come back. Each step of the way has it's challenges, just like any of your struggles. I was amazed, but not surprised, at the peace and strength He gave me through it all. But I was also surprised to find that I still had to battle the temptation to become discouraged. I had to fight to keep my peace but the Holy Spirit equipped me to fight by breathing encouragement into me. 

It's so easy when something hard happens to focus on the one hard thing and lose sight of the many good things around us. Even when Jesus is standing with us, holding us and whispering to us, our natural inclination is to focus on the struggle. But I'm learning that with great peace comes a great responsibility to fight to keep it. 

I'll admit that resting is not easy for me; I have to intentionally practice it. I want to fix things. I want to accomplish things. I've always been naturally high strung but prolonged exposure to Jesus is changing that about me. I'm pleasantly surprised to find myself avoiding stress and clinging hard to the peace I have been introduced to. I know I could have never been this way on my own. His peace is becoming my new norm and I want to stay here no matter what I face.  I finally believe it's possible. 

Being content in all circumstances is hard...we can't attain this on our own because we're wired to crave the security that only our Creator can provide. But even as He offers it, He wants us to intentionally go there and resist letting everything that happens disrupt our peace.