Peace in the Peacemaker

I've had a bit of a crazy day. Nothing adoption related just the normal craziness of life. Thankfully, we have tomorrow off. Not because it's Good Friday mind you, but because it's a bad weather day that happens to fall on Good Friday. But nonetheless, tomorrow is Good Friday. Good Friday . . . the day that Jesus was crucified. Easter . . . the day He was resurrected. I used to take for granted that everyone knew that. I used to take for granted that most people believed that. I used to be a lot more naive. I've found more and more that people don't want to hear about God. They don't care, they don't want to offend anyone, they don't want to be offended. If you don't believe in God, if you don't believe the Bible, I ask you to bear with me. Please don't stop reading.

You see, I was raised in church. I was there every Sunday and Wednesday from as far back as I can remember. I have good memories of going to church, but going to church (as wonderful as it is) is not the same as having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It's not what brought to the point I'm at today. I had to be willing to take it a step further. I've heard people say they "do the church thing" because they think it's "the right thing to do". They figure they need to go for their kids or to make friends or whatever. And I usually think how sad, they are missing the whole point. A relationship with God. I've told you before I'm a worrier. But I find the answers to those worries through Jesus. The Bible never fails to bring me comfort (and sometimes conviction). Prayer never fails to bring me peace. Some of you are saying, "Well that's nice, she finds her peace and comfort in the Bible and her God." But I'm telling you it's more than that. There are a couple of times in my life that I can remember feeling God's peace consume me in such a way that it couldn't be anyone but God. The first was when I was around 12 years old. My grandfather had a brain tumor. Brain tumors are never minor. I can remember being in my bedroom alone and praying that God would take care of him. I don't remember the exact words I prayed. What I do remember is knowing without a doubt that everything was going to be okay. And you know what? It was. I'm not saying it was easy or that he didn't have a long road to recovery, but I'll see my grandfather on Easter Sunday. He's still very healthy, and while I won't tell you his age, I will tell you that I'll be 30 in less than two months. The other time was the night Andrew was born. To put it simply Andrew's life and my life were both in danger. I was in serious trouble. From the beginning of the problems to the end of the emergency c-section it was about 10 hours. And yet I never even felt the slightest anxiety. Me the worrier didn't feel an ounce of anxiety. Looking back I find this so strange, but so amazing. I wanted to know Andrew was okay, but the peace I felt was indescribable. Every day of my pregnancy I prayed that Andrew would be healthy and strong. And my son, who was five weeks early, who weighed 4 lbs 13 oz., who was only 17 inches long, who should've stayed in the NICU for at least two weeks, went home with me the day I left. And more than once the doctors and the nurses commented on how healthy and strong he was. Believe me bringing home a baby that small had its challenges, but without a doubt, I believe that Andrew is nothing short of a miracle.

The thing is I'm not perfect. I mess up on a regular basis, but thank goodness I'm covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. My life is not perfect. Sometimes things go wrong. But I want you to know that no matter what you're facing there is a God that loves you. And in the end, even when life is far from perfect (and most of the time it is), I'd much rather start each day with Jesus by my side than without Him.

Have a safe and blessed Easter everyone!

 

John 3:16-18 (New King James Version)

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
¹⁸ “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.