PEACE is my word for the year 2021; For many, it was an illusory commodity in 2020. It seemed that no matter which way we turned there were uncertainties that upset it. In pretty much each and every important domain in our lives we found it difficult to hold onto. For some of us even the uncertainty of having a roof over our head manifested itself as jobs dried up and steady income was no longer a guarantee. Families were tossed and turned as each generation had (has) its share of challenges to navigate. What we shored up on the right side seemingly broke down on the left. I read through the Facebook messages from young women who have had abortions this year and now find that their peace has utterly deserted them. For mental health professionals as well as clergy, the sheer volume of people needing counseling has been staggering.. And yet...
We happen to live in a land where, I believe, peace may have been taken for granted. For many around the world, chaos was already the daily norm. It did not take a pandemic to reveal to billions of people that life is a precarious state of affairs at best. And yet...as a matter of course people seem to rally around the core values that REALLY matter in crisis situations: FAITH, FAMILY and FRIENDSHIP; without those, Americans now know that very little else matters anyway. It may have taken chaos to help us recognize the illimitable value of PEACE as a verb. Just like Love is an action word, so is PEACE. It takes abiding in Holy Spirit to fully grasp the depth and breath of Peace as a daily choice. Ephesians 6:15(NLT) says, "for shoes, put on PEACE that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared." Prepared for what? The chaos of living in a fallen world. Peace shoes are made for standing firm and walking in faith. We as people of faith should not only put on our Peace shoes daily but help those who have suffered reproductive loss find their peace shoes again. I humbly challenge each of us who have experienced healing (or who have never experienced reproductive loss) to assist some woman or man to find their peace shoes. Holy Spirit gave me "PEACE" as my action word for 2021- not for me so much but that I may be His instrument in bringing it to those around me. "and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" Philppians 4:7 (NKJV). Amen and Amen!
