It was an unusual day ... intense ... overwhelming, both emotionally and physically ... and broader than my analytical-need-to-have-everything-in-its-place-self was capable of either analyzing or finding appropriate places for. My I-never-quit-self was fully engaged with its pursuit of the necessary and with accents of short desperate prayers to the God I knew was bigger than it all, but I wasn’t far enough removed from my day yet, to appreciate His bigness. The day had indeed snowballed, and the one opportunity I had to see how my blood pressure was handling the stress, I passed up, afraid of what I might find out.
Hurricanes have an “eye” – a place of quietness in the middle of a raging storm. It is the place where the atmospheric pressure is at its lowest. The clearness and calm of the eye is in stark contrast to the most severe weather at its edges. And that is where I suddenly found myself in my day. What came before still stood in unchangeable history, and what was to come still lined the horizon. Peace though had suddenly claimed my spirit. What a precious gift, and I knew who the Giver was. Many years ago, I heard the words, “God breaks through when we least expect it.” He had broken through in my today, and I wept with gratitude.
Isn’t that what God promises us though? David’s familiar psalm reminds us that even when I walk in the darkest valley, there is a restful place, a renewal place, a peaceful place. And it’s found in the nearness of the One who loves us and protects and comforts us with the closeness of His presence. Jesus told His disciples, “Yes, you will have problems and difficulties. Yes, there are times you will feel stretched beyond the breaking point. But there is another ‘yes’ – the ‘yes’ of My peace because I am bigger than anything that happens in your life.” He reminded them too that His peace is different from what the world offers. Peace in the world is dependent on circumstances. God’s peace is dependent on the One who gives it. It quiets the heart, and it stills the fears that can clamor for our attention. Peace comes as I count on God for it, allowing my need to be a catalyst for heartfelt prayer. Sometimes though, on those unusual, intense, overwhelming days, it is not my own prayers that stir the heart of my Father, but the prayers of others who have seen and felt my need. I knew in my own overwhelming day, God had mingled both my own prayers and the prayers of others and had helped me find that precious gift of quietness. Thank You, Father.
(Related Bible reading: Psalm 23; John 14:27; John 16:33; Ephesians 2:14; Philippians 4:7)
