I had the opportunity to share a few thoughts over on our church's website on Peace this holiday season. Our new communications director (and one of my dear friends), Emily, asked me to write about this topic after a conversation we had one day on the struggle to find peace in the midst of difficult seasons. It's a lesson that I am learning personally and one that I find especially important during the holiday season, when (financial, relational and emotional) anxiety tends to rise. I pray that this post would encourage you to seek His peace during this season and beyond.
photo by Justin Robinson
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33
I’m a mom of two toddlers. My life is filled with all kinds of noise: high-pitched shrills of joy and anger, sudden tearful outbursts, milk dripping on the floor… and that’s just coming from me! Don’t get me started on how loud those little humans can be.
When it comes to having some “peace and quiet” in my life, I’ve learned that I can still strive for the peace, even when the quiet seems impossible.
Jesus was given many names throughout Scripture to describe His character. One of the names that is celebrated and sung about most often during the Christmas season is, “Prince of Peace.” This is a beautiful reminder that in the very nature of Jesus, resides peace.
Reflecting on the Christmas story and how Jesus was born in a stable next to smelly, farm animals, I think we can assume that it was not all peace and quiet in there either. I can imagine the animals may have become territorial about their space. And if I was Mary, I would have been less than calm about the idea of giving birth in such an unsanitary place. But there he came, and with him came peace.