Peace in the middle of it all

Okay, so it’s been like a clear week since I started this blog and I’m only just able to come back to it. Hmm! The Lord is and will always be my strength.

Has it been a busy few days or what? Sometimes when these many meetings keep rolling into each other, you kinda get to thinking ‘ What are we all talking about anyway? Really?’. And I don’t think I’m the only one who drives around in traffic trying to figure out where all these people are going anyway? Happens to you too right? I mean if every other person would just realize that some of us really do have somewhere to go… Lol.

Anyhoo, today I want to write on peace and what it really means. Hubby went to Holland for four days. Funny enough, I was looking forward to his trip (because it was short. You should see the boo-hooing that goes on for his longer trips, ha ha). I kinds felt I needed to have some ‘me-time’ and that his being away for those few days would give me time to be ‘at one’ with guess who?... Me! Like, I really wish! Nothing of the sort girls.

First is that I missed him the minute his car left for the airport, and I had a good sniffle. Then the kids (how could I have forgotten they are home on mid-terms) came to announce to me that they had first dibs on my time now that daddy was away. So, the boys want me to go play soccer with them, my daughter wants me to go to the salon with her, they all want me to take them to a movie and dinner, and they all want to go to Laterna to but some books to read, etc etc etc. Phew! What was I thinking? Meanwhile, my office expects me to be on seat all day cos the entire top management team (yours truly excluded) is away in Holland. There are piles of files on my desk and quite a few requests for some meeting or the other.

At some point, I remind myself that if anything were to happen to me, work would go on but my kids would lose something infinitely more precious. Yours truly shuts down the laptop and heads home to play mum to the hilt. Here’s the challenge though, I’m sooo tired at the end of day one. We just have to strike a balance and here’s where one has to thank God for growing kids. Finally, I’m in my room. Its nice and quite, a steaming hot cup of tea in hand. I lay back on my pillow and think, ‘what peace’.

Then it hits me……. I still have bible study to do. Truthfully, I groan and then aim a quick ‘Forgive me Father’ to the big guy up there. I’m thinking that I will nurse my cup of tea and then get to it, when it hits me that I want to put God on hold. He who is in himself my peace. I think of how demanding my work, children and other responsibilities are on me, and how much I crave peace from the many distractions that assuage me daily. Then I remember my many prayers and petitions per second to God. I remember my many shortcomings and failings and think how these must grate on His divine nerves. I think how much I love my family, and indeed most of my other involvements, which stem from my passions. Yet, at the best of times, I just want to throw it all in and scream ‘Peace Pleeeeaaasseeee’.

Try to imagine then, God having to deal with the noise of over six billion children….yours truly included and indeed responsible for my fair share of his daily distractions. Yet, God remains merciful. He remains Jehovah Shalom – filling us constantly with His peace, His compassion, His understanding, His grace. Mind boggling !

There is a big lesson here for us all. Life may bring about its fair share of challenges, but if we make God the center of our very beings, His peace will see us through the daily storms of life. I remember once almost falling into some depressed state for what reason I do not now recall. Somewhere within me, I recalled a testimony from someone about how they always sang praise songs and danced every time they felt depressed. I decided to give it a try and yeah, it was a bit odd at first, but a few minutes later I was on a roll and till today I cant quite remember what had me so down that day in the first place.

Sister, God is infinitely great. Lets hold unto that, unto Him. Not just on Sundays, but indeed every minute and every hour. So ladies, as I head out for a soccer match with my boys, all I can say is that I am busy, I am tired, but….. I am so at peace. Simply because God is my peace, I am holding fast to this truth.

Ttyl