Life is hard. Awful things happen. Any illusion of control we have over our lives is just that- an illusion. This can cause stress, worry, anxiety, depression, anger, and just basic fear. I have experienced all of those due to my illusion of control. My greatest source of strength and peace has come from my higher power, Jesus Christ. Whether you are a Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, my goal is not to convert you. My goal is to share with you the necessity of having a power greater than ourselves to bring peace and strength.
Life wasn't made to be lived alone. I believe that means spiritually and physically. We need other people in our lives; we need our friends, family, spouse, dog, whatever. We also need to nourish our spiritual selves and realize we aren't created to be alone spiritually either. We aren't souls floating on this planet for no concrete reason and without a purpose. There is a God out there who wants to dwell in us and is just jumping at the chance to bring us peace.
Jesus gives me peace.
He has been my source of strength and my only source of hope through this whole journey. The only thing that kept me going when I was at my worst was the knowledge that God knew my pain. If he knew my pain I had to believe he had a plan. And from my experience God always turns ugliness into beauty. He truly does make all things beautiful (Ecclesiastes 3:11). But in his time, not ours. I wanted healing right away. I wanted to go to sleep and wake up the next day fully restored to my old self- whatever that felt like. After a couple weeks of that not happening, actually seeming worse, I realized I had to surrender to Gods timing. It didn't happen in one big moment. It happened hundreds of times. Every hour. Sometimes every five minutes. It's still happening.
I don't know how anyone can't get through life without faith in God. Faith in a higher power. Faith in someone or something that loves us and has a plan and a purpose for our lives. I don't understand the mystery of Christ but I do believe. The spirit of God is alive in my life and that's the only way I can explain it.
This Easter was more significant for me than in Year's past. Ihad the chance toreally reflect on the last week of Jesus' life. I tried to picture him in the garden praying to God the day before he knew he was going to die. I tried to picture the weight of the world's sin and guilt hanging on his shoulders. Every amount of shame and guilt I have ever felt, he carried. I tried to wrap my mind around the sacrifice of his life for us. I can't figure it out. But I believe it. I believe in his love.
Today I thank God for giving me his peace.
Where does your peace come from?
ABOVE THE BATTLE