Peace Out

Find peace right where you are!

It's time to find a place of peace. A place where you are unraveled and confident. Every day I am more assured that when I stay in my peace place, I stay truer to who I am. I have had, and still struggle with, instant response syndrome. You know where you just go for it without much thought and with a whole lot of feeling? Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that’s me.

I love saying ‘yes’; I love to find a way to make it happen, and to be honest, it has served me well for many years. But recently I’ve come to learn this important fact: Finding peace and saying ‘yes’ don’t always agree. In fact, more often than not they disagree. So here I am bumping up against life again, and now it’s gently nudging back.

So here I sit in the early hours of a chilly winter morning, thankful that the house is still and warm. The breeze blows swiftly and the windows bow. There's so much to say and yet my heart is still. I've been waiting for this rush of words to come all day and here it is. It’s unhurried and steady. As thoughts race quickly through my mind my fingers stroke the keyboard, trying to keep up with the flurry of thoughts. So I continue to write.

It’s peaceful! Hello old friend!

As seasons come, and come more quickly these days, I want to stay engaged with the important things! I long to be right where I am supposed to be, when I’m supposed to be. There’s so much peace there. That, my friends, is the best medicine for weariness.

So I write and sink deep into the calmness that blankets me.

Recently I have placed a heavy weight on the voices in my life, their words heavy, like rocks sinking into my heart. Instead of watching as they’re hurled in my vicinity, I have appointed myself to be the catcher. Few pebbles have come my way, most have been boulders, full of depth and weight. Eventually they pile up, burying me and, exhausted from attempting to field every boulder, I find myself lacking the strength to climb out.

Then, instead of struggling against the weight, I pause. And as I lean in closer I begin to hear more clearly. When I stop I no longer hear the hurling of tasks or to-do’s, it’s the sound the rocks getting lighter one by one, their once loud voices can only be heard in the distance. In the silence I begin to regain my strength. This process is not quick, I’m still buried under a mountain of my own making, but there is this peace because the tribe is here. They’ll help pull me out.

I close my eyes and embrace the beauty of this picture. It’s stunning!

You see, this is the first time I've stopped all week to hear what my heart is saying. This is the first time I’ve stopped and felt the breath in my lungs as I inhale and exhale, and boy let me tell you, it feels good. I say all of this to rally you to find peace before each decision. Take your time even when the culture is telling you to hurry up and choose. Find your peace and make it your barometer by which all decisions are made and measured.

In the midst of the busyness of the season, find your place of peace. Mine looks like a few quiet moments in my still house in the early morning. What does your peace place look like? I encourage you to reacquaint yourself with that place of ease and rest and see how some of those boulders in your life begin to lighten.

Here’s to a peaceful week. See You Next Tuesday!