Peace

Written by stacy

“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).

I felt besieged by trouble. My husband in severe depression languished in hospital. With every new treatment hopes raised, then dashed when it left him worse than ever. The emotional roller coaster left me emotionally drained. Then my son was hospitalized with severe burns in another hospital. My older children had left home and when I didn’t hear from them for weeks at a time, I worried. Prolonged stress caused my body to break down. Because of too many days of illness my boss at work sounded a warning. It seemed that I might lose my nursing job as well and thus my financial security.

One afternoon on nursing duty I was walking down West 2 to answer a call bell, when a wave of despair washed over me. I can’t handle the stress anymore. I thought. I’m cracking up! I felt myself slipping over the edge and falling into an abyss of fear. I’m having a nervous breakdown, I shuddered, right here in the hall. Terror gripped me. What will happen to the children with both of us in hospital?

I Am here. Don’t be afraid. God’s Voice was clear, unmistakable, like the tolling of a bell on a stormy night. As surely as a mother calms a frightened child, I felt strong arms encircle me and hold me. Soothing words of love echoed in my heart: I am your peace, your strength, your sufficiency. As I drank in the words and felt the comfort of them, the storm in my chest abated. My raging emotions ebbed away and a deep peace enveloped me.

Later I learned that the word ‘peace’ in the Greek has the connotation of being linked together. When Jesus says “Peace, I leave with you,” He’s actually saying, “You’re not alone. You and I are linked together; I am in you and you are in me. Therefore, you have all the resources you need to cope.”

Are you facing many pressures today? Hear Jesus’ personal message to you: “Peace, be still. I am here.”

Thank you, Father, that my extremity becomes your opportunity to show yourself mighty in my life. Christ is my life, my health, my strength, and my supply. He is my source, my confidence and my victory. Whatever I have to face today, I have the resources to master it. Amen.

Related Links:

Stress is a normal part of life…but how can I deal with it?

http://www.retirementwithapurpose.com/aarpworkoutstress.html

About the Author
This article was written by Helen Lescheid. You can read more about this author by clicking this link:
http://www.talk.thelife.com/helen-lescheid/

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