Peace —
The word whispers at the edges of my frantic mind
Slows the twist and twirl of trying to manage uncertainty by thought-effort
Invites me to pause and breathe
To remember the truth of this moment
– I am beloved
– I am worthy
– I am enough.
Peace isn’t “when everything calms down”.
Peace doesn’t wait for the departure of the hard thing, the resolution of the conflict.
Peace doesn’t insist on no difference, no doubt.
Peace tiptoes into the confusion, arrives on the breath, murmurs into the ache.
Peace is not absence, but presence
Presence in the struggle
Presence with the conflict
Presence amid the chaos
Peace is the ability to hold the tension between “what I wish could be” and “what is now”.
Peace is Spirit’s gift in tumult, an ease of heart and unearned.
Peace is “with” … not “instead of”
I long for peace on earth
The end of wars
No more children suffering
Cooperation in our halls of government
True welcome and inclusion in our places of worship
Both truth and encouragement in our media
Loving communication and mutual support in our families
While I long for that, I can choose peace in my soul
The peace that bears with the struggle
The peace that brings me back to my own need for care
The peace that wafts from one well-tended heart to another in need.
I wish for you the gift of peace this day, this season.
May its sweetness surprise you.
May it welcome you into your own heart.
