Protecting My Peace

“Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.” John 14:27

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9

My relationship with peace can be classified as complicated. I use to envision peace as passive and staying within the comfort zone. People have shared that they feel peace in my presence and I was conflicted. But I remember a friend saying, “Sheila, I don’t think you realize the real power of peace.”

That night I had a conversation and told peace that I thought of peace as passive ……….

But peace’s response would turn out to be

“Sheila, if that’s what you thought, you never knew me

Peace is not the absence of chaos or crisis

Peace remains, in the midst of chaos, where the presence of Christ is

Peace has the power to disrupt the atmosphere

Making peace in the midst of chaos makes this clear”

There was a contest where artists were called to create an image of peace. There were images of serene and calm seas, statuesque mountains, ,majestic sunrises and sunsets. The winning image was the artist’s depiction of a storm. Ocean waves were crashing against the mountains. The night sky was filled with flashes of lightning. It was the antithesis of peace. But if you took the time to look closer within one of the there was the image of a nest. In the midst of the storm, there was a mother bird gently cuddling her babies. In the midst of the storm, the power of peace emerged with this image. Peace is not destroyed by life storms, it’s what grounds us in the midst of the storm.

True peace is not passive.

The pandemic shifted the culture. In the midst of shifts and changes, I have taken the time to treasure and protect my peace. It means this is active.

Peacemakers are disruptors. Peace is not based on outward situations,

Peace is so precious that it will call you to take active steps to protect it. Peace will call you to set boundaries. Peace will call you to seek justice. Peace will call you to say yes and call you to say no. Protecting your peace will cause you to unplug, log off and shut down. Peace will call you to be intentional about spending time with people and places that bring you peace. Peace will call you to resist grind culture and rest. Peace is the catalyst to taking actions that will bring us closer to it.

“YOU KEEP PAIRING ME WITH QUIET, PEACE SAID. “BUT MY TRUE COMPANION IS THE MIGHTY CLAMOR OF CHAINS BEING RIPPED CLEAN FROM THE WALL.” LORI HETTEREN

Protecting your peace is active and not passive at all. Protecting my peace means ripping away patterns, habits clean from the wall. Protecting your peace means taking the radical actions to preserve it.

Peace calls us to actions that can shape our lives in ways that we never expected.

Peace is so valuable that you will do everything to protect it.

What does peace look like to you?

Peace,

Sheila P. Spencer

Dec 30, 2024

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Protecting My Peace

“Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.” John 14:27

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9

That night I had a conversation and told peace that I thought of peace as passive ……….

But peace’s response would turn out to be

“Sheila, if that’s what you thought, you never knew me

Peace is not the absence of chaos or crisis

Peace remains, in the midst of chaos, where the presence of Christ is

Peace has the power to disrupt the atmosphere

Making peace in the midst of chaos makes this clear”

True peace is not passive.

The pandemic shifted the culture. In the midst of shifts and changes, I have taken the time to treasure and protect my peace. It means this is active.

Peacemakers are disruptors. Peace is not based on outward situations,

“YOU KEEP PAIRING ME WITH QUIET, PEACE SAID. “BUT MY TRUE COMPANION IS THE MIGHTY CLAMOR OF CHAINS BEING RIPPED CLEAN FROM THE WALL.” LORI HETTEREN

Protecting your peace is active and not passive at all. Protecting my peace means ripping away patterns, habits clean from the wall. Protecting your peace means taking the radical actions to preserve it.

Peace calls us to actions that can shape our lives in ways that we never expected.

Peace is so valuable that you will do everything to protect it.

What does peace look like to you?

Peace,

Sheila P. Spencer

Each day is its own journey ….

“ … may we, too, speak affirmations that align us with our purpose and ignite the fire within us to make meaningful contributions to the world.”

My relationship with hope is still in tact. Despite the occasional “it’s complicated,” we remain connected. It’s the audacity of hope that keeps us going.

“Gratitude is not always about waiting for resolution. Sometimes, gratitude is found in the people and the moments that hold space for you, in the midst and allow you to just be …. similar to the process of brewing tea, just waiting”

“Why does someone always have to be the strong friend? The label can feel heavy if it’s the only crown we’re allowed to wear. What if the role of the strong friend shifted within the group and became something we all shared?”

Sheila Spencer