PEACE

May the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation.

2 Thessalonians 3:16

            Last night, we had a storm blow through. I woke to the sounds of thunder clapping, strong wind gusts and rain pelting the roof. The storm that had been lingering on the outskirts of our county was now upon us with a force that made me wonder if we were at risk of a tornado.

            I got up to check the weather radio, then looked in on the boys. I found Benjamin sound asleep, oblivious to the storm, noise-cancelling headphones over his ears. He is very fearful of storms, even though he knows we are safe inside our home. So when the weather man predicts a noisy night, he dons his headphones before he goes to sleep. Smart.

            We can’t always escape the many storms raging all around. At home, at work, in our nation and across the globe. Peace is a rare commodity these days. Autism and special-needs family especially know this as parents deal with frequent meltdowns, crises at school, the frazzle of days packed with appointments with their child’s therapists, counselors, doctors…. Most of us end up feeling like a cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

            Yet God assures us there is still peace to be found, no matter our circumstances. To obtain this peace, we need to go to the source itself; Jesus-Christ. He alone can pour His peace – deep, satisfying peace – into our hearts, minds, and souls. Just like a breath of fresh air saturates our entire body with oxygen, so Jesus fills our entire being with a sweet, calming peace. He might not still the storm that rages all around us, but He will still our hearts in the midst of the storm. His peace is free for the asking.

            This morning I asked my son if he slept through the storm. His reply: “Storm? What storm?”