This is not about the Middle East peace process, altho a dear Anglican pastor in Ramallah, Rev. Audeh Rantisi, highlighted this phrase time & again (after Oslo when the West Bank was ‘carved into pieces.’) No… Virginia, your humble blogger (with plenty of time during her TWO MONTH blogging hiatus) has been contemplating this concept a bit lately.
What gives with (having & exuding) Peace vs. (falling to) Pieces in our private lives?
Sometimes our heart grumbles are so loud & disruptive our peace goes out the window of our (wannabe) calmly collected minds with frustrated sighs. Or, maybe we’re just too @#!%#@ tired to ‘be at peace.’ Not sure about you, but i don’t have hours to meditate or levitate or whatever…
‘Tis not easy getting into those Peace Grooves when the going is tough & pain-filled. Actually, it can be downright Difficult. Challenging. Overwhelming.
ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE? …
When all around us everything falls to pieces (our bodies, too) & the foundations of our hopes (& dreams) crumble …
We have a CHOICE. We can fall to pieces (ok, a wee crying jag every now & then is not necessarily a Bad Thing!!) …or, we can seek Peace.
It doesn’t mean our challenges (or pain) will Go Away (altho pursuing any & all resolution is a Good Thing.) It just means our hearts can be at peace (not in pieces) as we face the way forward.
There’s not a magic formula (altho prayer, meditation & daily quiet time help) – i kinda think asking God each day (the squeaky wheel gets the grease) might be the ticket. Something simple like, “oh Lord, please transform my heart & mind & spirit with Your Peace…”
Peace is a choice. (1st to ask for; then to be a conduit of…) If we ask for it, we must open our hearts (& minds) to receive it & then BE it. BE PEACE.
yeah, right. Since the accident i haven’t necessarily been a conduit of peaceful cuddles the past 2 months. Pain & tireditis & frustration (when will the Pain make an end?) have made that a wee bit challenging. Being PEACE is also not easy when our internal Freak-Out-O-Meters escalate (sorting out Insurance Details? in triplicate? gaining TEN POUNDS of hard-to-get-rid of weight?)
But, hey. Peace is a CHOICE. Instead of clobbering myself mentally (& maybe others in the vicinity), i can choose to let God put those Peace Grooves into my heart, mind & spirit.
It’s a daily deal… (sometimes hourly!) … but with God’s help, possible. To be at peace & to Be Peace. God’s peace in this whacked out world.
“My peace I leave you, My peace I give unto you. Not as the world gives… do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
grace, peace & pieces (of Real Peace)
Virginia : )
p.s. So, an update (for interested buddies.) After 6 weeks in the Repair Shop, the Out-Of-Africa mobile looks like new… & hopefully Virginia (the person, not the State) will be feeling like new, soon (but alas, not yet..) Still undergoing Physical Therapy & such for ankle, back & Neck… (wore Birkenstocks to niece Megan’s formal wedding & to wedding of friends Leanne & Bruce; recently procured winter Birkenstocks, the kind worn with socks? … but instead of complaining about lack of shoe attire-ability, isn’t it grand that Birkenstocks help alleviate Ankle Pain? : )
Hey, life is a Gift & there’s so much for which to Be Grateful!!
Roses in the Rubble 
Ginny. Missed your blogs…you have such a unique gift for applying deep spritual truths to the messiness of our daily lives. Glad you’re back! Will keep praying for your body to heal. You’ve been a real trooper! 🙂
xo, cin
Cindy, that’s EXACTLY what I was thinking!
Thanks, John, for your encouraging comments – that helped motivate this post (ie, getting it POSTED) & getting back into the blog groove. So appreciate your blog & all the thought (& bells & whistles) that go into your posts!! Lots of grace, peace & appreciation – Virginia : )
Thanx for your encouragement, Cin! The ten pounds have turned ‘voluptuousness’ into ‘voLUMPtuousness’ .. lumpy, dumpy Pilsbury Dough Girl! But hey, one day at a time.. The new exercise bike is helping (carefully)… Love you, sis, & appreciate your prayers & support & agape love these many years!!! – gL: 😛
Liking the sound of peace grooves! I really hope you are feeling like new soon ! Take care of yourself 🙂
You could write a book about your experiences with Pain (& kidney challenges!) – your continued service overseas is such a witness of grace-filled faithfulness. Blessings to you (*& stay well!!!) Virginia : )
Wow. I am sure everyone loves your birkenstocks! I am glad that the accident doesn’t seem to have dampened your spirits. Finding peace (or joy or your keys) can be rather difficult at times, and I love that you shared your challenges. Asking for help does help, and I sometimes forget about that piece. Nice to see you back around.
Jayme – way to go with your gratitude posts this month. I had so much fun catching up thru your intriguing journey of thankfulness… Thanx for your encouragement. The Birkenstocks are a New Thing (i was always a Tevas kinda gal)… but since they are keeping my ankle from a CAST (gasp)… no complaints!!!
Blessings to you! (& grace & peace & Fun Shoes) – Virginia : )
Sent from my iPhone
thanx so much, Shere, for the encouraging email! You are an AMAZING SIS (!)
I’m so glad you’re back. I’ve missed your blogs. Your latest adventures (?) are breathtaking. I don’t know how you manage with such grace. You’ve been in my prayers a lot in the past while. What can I say, you are truly one of my heroes. I’ll be coming to Williamsburg from Dec.7-11 and REALLY want to see you during my time there. I’ll be coming after a big conference in Philadelphia, see impactholyland.org for info. Sending love and hugs in purple… Lisa
LISA!!!! So glad you will be on this side of the ocean – can’t wait to see you in December and catch up. YAAAAY! You are one of MY heroes & are in my prayers (often!) I will never forget your friendship with Rana & the visits to Bethlehem all those years ago. So grateful to God that your friendship with Barb & Greensprings brings you to Willsb now & again. We kindred (purple-passionate) spirits needs to Stick Together!
All my love & hugs to you & David – Virginia : )
p.s. conference looks Really Interesting!! : )
Will be wonderful to see you. I’m flying to Philadelphia tonight. Any prayers for the conference will be gratefully received. I’m SO VERY HAPPY to be able to see you. Please greet your amazing parents for me. You can reach me at Barbs from Saturday afternoon.
Love, love, love to you.