At Peace or in Pieces?

I didn't really realize the need for peace until I became a parent. The anxiety that accompanies that first bundle of joy can be overwhelming- Is she safe? Is she warm enough? Did she get enough to eat? What is wrong why is she crying I must be a terrible parent she won't ever stop crying!

Peace is not only the opposite of anxiety, but it is also the opposite of conflict. If you paid attention in high school English classes, there's seven types of conflict: person vs. self, person vs. person, person vs. supernatural, person vs. nature, person vs. society, person vs. technology, person vs. unknown. That's a lot of potential for fear, pain, anger, and confusion.

Which means peace, a simple construct, is often hard to come by. How do you be at peace with yourself, if you're not even sure you like yourself? How do you stay at peace with others, who can be anything from irritating to abusive? How can you know peace when there is so much injustice and destruction in the world?

The thing is, you can't "come by" peace. It doesn't drop in your lap or end up under your Christmas tree. It is a gift of God. It is through prayer and meditation that you can receive this gift, to rest in Him when the baby won't stop crying, when the co-worker won't stop gossiping, when your world is in shambles, and when you just feel inadequate. It is supernatural, beyond understanding, and it is a mark of a person completely humbled before Christ.