Peace

There have been many interruptions in what I would call a peaceful life for us these past few years. Maybe that's the way it has always been, but I am more sensitive to it now. I tend to cast about for the cause, thinking, somewhat naively, that if the cause was dispensed with,  peace would be restored. I have come to realize that living a peaceful life is not due to a lack of disruptions, but by consciously directing one's inner life to a place of peace. Jesus spoke to his disciples this way: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.   ( John 14:27) This peace he talked about is like food, something that we need each and every day to keep us from troubled and fearful hearts. It cannot become part of us unless we take it in, and once we take it in we can feel the power of it. We could spend many futile days depending on our circumstances to change, people to change, the economy to change, and never have the peace we crave. It is a gift that we can only receive from the hand of God, that quiets our hearts and gives us rest. Never mind who or what we deem is the problem, our answer is as close as a prayer.