I Choose Peace!

Not too long ago, I was in a group meeting and it seemed no matter what I said, there was a gal that continued to contradict something I said. I was starting to tally the number of times she interrupted my train of thought to disprove something I said. My emotions were starting to go south and I felt a wave of anxiety go through me. In a split second, I took a deep breath and I decided to choose peace instead. I have come to know that peace is best chosen before there’s a need for it. I think I’m becoming an expert at choosing peace.

I had plenty of practice at choosing peace over the years. I learned that trying to prove my “rightness” was actually proving how wrong I could be. I was my husband’s navigator and co-pilot when we were flying. He depended on me. But, when we were driving around town and I kept insisting he was going the wrong way or he needed to turn here or there or speed up or slow down, it only led to a disruption of peace. Though it was hard, I learned to let him go the speed and the direction he believed was the right way, and be silent. Getting there 5 or 10 minutes late going his way, was far better than losing our peace trying to prove my way was the right way. I chose peace.
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Today, more than ever, I want to be enveloped by peace. I want to radiate peace and I want to be an agent and a conduit of peace. I decide this while in the grocery check-out line, or sitting in traffic, or waiting on these Frisco 5-minute traffic lights (ugh!) I know when I’ve decided peace as my option. Whether any of us know it or not, we can become practitioners of peace.

What I know for sure, is that the more I plant peace, water peace, fertilize it with prayer and practice, peace takes root. I have learned to shun people, places and situations where there is hostility, anger, and conflict. I avoid conversations that are going nowhere except for a battle zone up ahead. Of course, the wonder of it all is the way peace makes itself at home in us, even when the storms are raging.

As I was writing this post, I retrieved my 2010 November journal to see how I was handling the week of my husband's graduation to heaven on November 16th. I remember so much peace in my heart -- an undeniable, overwhelming, unexplainable peace. I was attending to and watching my sweetheart and best friend for over 44 years grow weaker, sleep more and moan in pain while trying to carry on my other responsibilities. My journal read “I can't explain it, but I have peace that passes understanding.” I remember choosing peace, or, maybe peace chose me.

What I know for sure in that meeting where it seemed the enemy was taunting me, to the times of my life when chaos was all around me and to the 11 months of my Sweetheart’s illness to his final week of life, I felt the sweet assurance of One who always promises, “I’m right here with you. You are not alone.”
So I pray and pay this peace forward to you today, dear friends. I know this for sure: You are not alone. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not in all the days to come. He is right here with you, and He extends the invitation to let peace take root in your soul.

John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

What Can We Do When This World Steals Our Peace?

My dentist sent me to an Endodontics Specialist for a consultation. BTW -- endodontics means dealing with the dental pulp AKA, in my case, a potential root canal. This was a new experience for me because my wonderful dentist in Tulsa was more than a general dentist -- he performed all the "specialist" procedures also and he had done a couple of "pain-free" root canals on me before. This post isn't to discuss the merits of general dentistry versus endodontics dentistry, but it's to convey my naiveness in this crazy world we live in.

My general dentist here in Frisco is great. The bonus is when I go see her, she has the "Fixer Upper" show playing on the TV in the procedure room. My Tulsa dentist always had Christian music playing in the background, and to top it off, he was a beautiful witness for Christ in his conversation and demeanor.

Now, back to my "specialist" visit. Nice office. Kind staff. Easy check-in. Comfortable dental chair. Then, settled in, I heard a loud headbanger, hard-rock singer and music playing on their music system. Initially, I thought, "Are you kidding me? Do I have to listen to this?" Maybe I'm old school when music was selected by businesses that would have wide-audience appeal but maybe this place appeals to the hard-rock-music-loving-dentist and his equally passionate hard-rock-loving-patients. I'll just suck it up go with the flow."

Then, I looked at the magazine rack that faced me with a May 14th issue of New York magazine. The bold headlines said "My Date With a Sex Robot" with a ghastly photo. I'll admit I am selective in where I go, what I do and who I am with. I've said it before, I say it again, there is nothing more important to me in my life than maintaining a state of peace. I live by St. Paul's words in Philippians 4:8-11 "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is fair, whatever is pure, whatever is acceptable, whatever is commendable, if there is anything of excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—keep thinking about these things. Likewise, keep practicing these things: what you have learned, received, heard, and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with you." Did you hear that? "THEN, the God of peace will be with you."

So, what do I do when THAT peace is interrupted. I stand firm in my convictions and do something about it. I couldn't ignore it. The negativity was resounding in my ears AND in my eyes. I would have walked away or changed the channel if I could. But, I couldn't. The dental assistant came into the room and I told her "I've never been to a dentist where I felt so uncomfortable. In fact, my dentist in Tulsa plays Christian music. I'm listening to hard rock music and I'm seeing a magazine cover that faces me that says "My Date With a Sex Robot!" She was quick to apologize and removed the magazine saying "I don't know where that came from, and as for as the music goes, I put on Aerosmith this morning and didn't realize the playlist would be like this. We usually have Christian music playing. I'll change it!" Within seconds, I was taken back to my peace when I heard playing, "This is amazing grace. This is unfailing love. That You would take my place. That You would bear my cross. You lay down Your life. That I would be set free. Oh, Jesus, I sing for all that You've done for me."

It's about daily making choices. We can live with the chaos and negativity and obvious assaults on our peace OR we can treat our peace as the absolute priceless treasure that it is. We can be the peacemaker in the midst of family disagreements. We can walk away from a group that is telling inappropriate jokes and stories. Choices of movies and tv shows we watch, the music we listen to, and the conversations we have with others all determine which side of the camp we'll be on. Peace or anxiety. Peace or fear. Peace or distress. Peace or anger. Back to that scripture...."Keep practicing those things that are true, honorable, fair, pure, acceptable, commendable, excellent, praiseworthy. THEN, the God of peace will be with you."