peace

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives." - John 14:27

"The peace that Christ gives is not pictured in the calm, pastoral scene of sheep by still waters, nor is it seen in the newborn infant, warm and safe in the arms of its mother. The peace of Christ is rather seen in a picture of a raging river of life coursing between its banks, now through a mountain gorge, now across the open plains. Mile after mile, there is a deep-flowing, sure current that keeps surging forward in spite of any surface splashing of trouble. The winds of adversity can whip up the waves to white-cap ferocity. The speed of life down through the passes can dash the water forcefully against the rocks. The reeds along the riverbank can cut or fallen logs can swirl the water into small whirlpools, spinning the water in dizzying circles of uncertainty of direction. Yet the river keeps moving by the force of the current. His peace in my heart is that current, assuring me that I am in the flow of His will." - Neal Pirolo