Peace...

I have been looking forward to this topic in my homework. Peace. A word that embodies so much for me. I love this word. That is why I chose the blog title "sanctum"--it envisions a place of peace. Again, I cannot conjure it up. It originates only in His Presence. A fruit of the Spirit.

I did two posts today, one showing uninhibited frivolity, the other, uninhibited grief. How on earth do I tie these two expressions together. I used to wonder how I could smile or ever feel joy when I knew such pain was around me. God seems to have gifted me with a heightened sense of empathy, so I can get inside someone else's pain and cry out for them. This has been and is sometimes quite hard. Then again, this is one woman who just loves to laugh. Such a contrast in me.

In Scripture, peace and joy seem to be inextricably intertwined. Romans 15:13 says, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." We can logically assume that where there is no joy, there is no peace. The absence of peace is described by Job in Job 3:26, "I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil." Beth describes a lack of peace like this:

"...a sleepless night filled with tossing and turning,

fear that lodges itself like a pine cone in your stomach,

a mind and body in perpetual motion,

memories that imprison you repeatedly,

unending strife, hopelessness,

and the general, yet horrible, sense of being out of control..."

Sounds familiar? It is much too familiar to me. It seems like it is part of me, who I am. Maybe that is why the word 'peace' is so appealing to me. Why Jesus is so appealing to me. Ephesians 2:14 starts, "For He Himself is our peace..." because of Calvary.

Because of Christ, His presence, His Promise to never leave me, His Promise to provide, I can have peace while feeling pain and grief. Perfect love casts out fear which leaves peace. Because of Christ, I can have peace in ALONENESS, in PROVISION, in the STORM, in the WAIT, in the TEARS, and finally in DEATH. The refrain from Like a River Glorious says it all:

Stayed upon Jehovah,

Hearts are fully blest;

Finding as he promised,

Perfect peace and rest.

Check out this amazing sermon I saw at A Planting of the Lord to know the origin of our peace; warning! It will amaze you!