Billows of Love

“Billows” isn’t a word that I use in my everyday speech. But, yesterday, on my morning walk, I looked up at the sky and saw the clouds in billows. An old song that I heard my mama sing so many times came to my mind. “Peace, peace, wonderful peace, coming down from the Father above. Sweep over my spirit forever I pray, in fathomless BILLOWS of love.” And, right in the middle of those “billows” was the sun shining through. Of course, I had a “God” moment!

When I returned home, I headed to "Google" to be sure that I had “billows” in the right connotation, and sure enough, billows means a large mass of something, typically cloud, smoke, or steam. Aha! Billows of love and peace sweeping over my soul right in the middle of the storms I might be facing – love and peace that comes from the sun (the Son)!

It was such a sweet thought I had about my precious mother who – these many years later – I remember how she lived in God’s peace in the middle of tremendous chaos. My mom knew chaos. Her husband (my dad) was diagnosed with a brain tumor when I was eight years old. After the surgery to remove the tumor, my dad was never the same. He had many seizures that I witnessed as a young child that created chaos and fear in my young mind. There was no back-up plan for any potential of something happening to Dad, so my mom had to work long hours to supply for us. He passed away when I was fifteen. I watched Mom, throughout those years, to be in peace. I never saw her anguishing about her “lot in life”. I remember that she had to sell her wedding ring at a pawn shop to get enough money to help make ends meet. Maybe, I saw tears on that day, but she would rise up and sing “Peace, peace, wonderful peace, coming down from the Father above. Sweep over my spirit forever I pray, in fathomless billows of love.”

I, too, know that peace because of her example. I had my own times of chaos. I clung to the same peace during those times like my mama did. I’m in a 12-week Bible Study and this week’s lesson is “Out of Chaos; Into His Image”. I’d much rather ponder “peace” than “chaos” because chaos means “complete disorder and confusion”, turmoil, disruption, train wreck”. Train wreck? I read those words “train wreck” and I remembered my mom again. She could no longer have children and for that matter didn’t want any more since she already had three children of whom the youngest was 12. But she was in a train wreck and that “chaos” reorganized her insides and bada bing bada boom, I was conceived. At first it added “chaos” to her world, but she was so grateful for “her baby” because I was the one that would not only comfort her in her tough times, but, eventually, I was her caregiver. She had taught me well the way of peace. I was able to return the favor.

I have many dear friends in Puerto Rico who have lost everything in the disaster of Hurricane Maria. I have other friends and family going through tremendous storms and wonder if they’ll survive the chaos in their world. Maybe you are one of those that is suffering today for fear of what the future may hold for you because of the chaos all around you. Your own “train wreck” could be the catalyst for birthing new ideas, creativity, dreams coming true, and resurrection life.

Let’s turn the chaos into peace. Jesus did it when He spoke to the winds and waves, “Peace be still”. He’s given us the authority to speak to the winds and waves in our lives. May we all sing and pray with my Mom: “Peace, peace, wonderful peace, coming down from the Father above. Sweep over my spirit forever I pray, in fathomless billows of love.”

Psalm 29:11 “The LORD will give strength to His people; the LORD will bless His people with peace.”