Day 21 - Restoring Peace

“Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”
​Luke 1: 78-79

Meditate or Reflect
Recalling from the first part of our journey with the fruit of the Spirit, we learn that shalom is the Hebrew word for peace and it means being at ease, unharmed, harmony, and wholeness. Peace is a state of being that lacks nothing and has no fear of being troubled. So when peace has been disturbed it can leave us fearful, disconnected, out of step, uneasy, or feeling in harm’s way.  One of my specialty areas as a counselor is working with trauma, and the very nature of trauma is a peace disruptor. Trauma disrupts the harmony of our nervous system, disrupts and distorts our thought processes, and can disrupt our relationships. Trauma disturbs our peace. In some way we have all seen trauma, whether through lived experience (abuse, neglect, crime, war, assault) or by vicarious observation (witnessing an accident, world events, stories of tragedy on the newsfeed). From a spiritual perspective, we live in a world where darkness surrounds us. Many times, the darkness is not of our own making, but when we have born witness to the darkness, it disturbs our peace. However, we learn from the verse in Luke that God’s tender mercy, in the Light of the world that is Jesus, has come upon us, and He is our Light as we walk through darkness.  If you have endured a trauma that has left you feeling that your peace is disturbed, I encourage you to talk to someone: a counselor, a spiritual director, or a trusted advisor. And ask the Lord to direct your steps in restoring peace.
 
Restoring Peace
Past
Take a breath and recall any time when you have felt your peace was disturbed – try to hold onto the thought briefly, don’t let it take up occupancy in your mind. And recall a time when you experienced peace – the harmony and wholeness of God’s abiding peace. How did you arrive at this place of peace? Over time? With the help of others? Or, like the morning light that suddenly illumined and gave you peace?  Take a moment, and allow the peace of God to be present with you – like “the morning light from heaven.” 
 
Present
Are you living in peace these days? Or are you finding that past experiences, or troubles in the world, or problems in your personal have disrupted your present shalom?  Consider the areas of your life where you would like to experience restored peace. We can acknowledge that darkness in the world will exist until Jesus returns, but still strive for personal peace until then. Take a moment and allow the Holy Spirit to show you where you need to have peace restored. Peace may not mean repaired relationships, but we can make personal decisions to let the tender mercy of God’s light in for personal peace.
 
Future
There may have been times of darkness in your life that will never make sense. Sometimes moving out of the darkness of a peace disturbed can take time and a lot of work, but when you seek Him you will find that the Holy Spirit is a kind and wise guide leading you to the only perfect peace that is the Prince of Peace.  In this moment, ask God to lead you in restoring peace to your life in any of the areas that came up for you today. Then journey with the Holy Spirit to restore peace in your soul. Take a deep breath. With each new day, follow the morning Light from heaven and let Him guide you on “the path of peace.”