Peace - In spite of surroundings

It hardly seems possible to be finishing another week - already. And during this week that many have had their minds turned to the passion week of Christ's life, it seems as if the supernatural battle has intensified, particularly around here.

Yet, time after time I saw God 'handing out' (sharing His) Peace with all who would accept Him.
The lady I have been helping has been 'confronted' a number of times with 'circumstances' that were very possibly aimed at frustrating her, trying to 'get her' to loose 'peace'. And time after time God drew near and again and again I saw her 'regain' His Peace in her heart and life.

Thursday evening My hubby and I were in Walmart getting some groceries. I came up to one of the aisles pushing our cart when I noticed another 'cart' coming out. 'Pushing the cart' was a man we have had some unpleasant expereinces with in the past. I have almost 'dreaded' what would happen if we were to 'meet', but this time as I saw him I said a cheery 'hi' and he smiled back. As I walked on I was praising the Lord!. Why? My attitude was changed!!!

Some of you may know that for about 3 months I helped a friend by taking care of her cattery while she was recuperating from a 'broken leg'. A couple of weeks ago I 'retired' from that job and she has taken it over. Duane is still feeding her horse, goats and chickens. She has been getting the bags of food but we have pretty much gotten the 'hay' for the horse and big goat. We were getting low so I picked up a big bail of tightly packed hay that looked 'very good' , thinking I had done her a favor. But when I gave her the 'bill' for the hay she promptly told me not to buy any more as there was now plenty of grass in the field. (Not hardly. We even got snow last evening.) In the past I have at times gotten quite irritated with her for what seems to me as indifference to the needs of her animals. This time, however, I simply told her that as long as Duane was 'feeding' the horse we would assure there was enough food for the horse.

Sometimes communication between people, and even between family members, can get stalled. Last night God gave me some communication with our son that definitely gave me peace as well as joy. I may be tired (the best part was after 1 a.m.) but relished every bit of this wonderful experience. That doesn't mean we 'solved' anything, but the most blessed part was that we culminated the 'time' unpacking a portion of scripture. I had already written, in my own words, what this portion of scripture was coming to mean to me as a part of 'study time' I take. After also reading several versions together, he began to 'put it' into his own paraphrase while I wrote it down. First is my paraphrase and then his.

O Creator God, the One in whom I confide; why do you say to me, disappear as a bird among the hills?Oh, those who are wrong set up a trap, they are ready and plan from obscurity how to shoot those whose life is right. When correct morality is ‘done away with’ what can those who are right do? From His sacred place in control the Creator God is watching everything happening on this earth. He investigates those who agree with Him, but those who do not agree with Him and those who love to be cruel and do damage He hates, which will bring upon them snares, fire and sulphur and famine with blowing winds. The Creator God loves those who agree with Him and He smiles with pleasure at them.

When Carl was in high school he took welding class and refers to that as an illustration below.

I find refuge in God as my fortress. Why do you say to me ‘run like a ‘scaredy cat’, ‘fly faster than a humming bird’ to the hills and ‘play dead like a possum’?
Come on, man. ‘Don’t you know, haven’t you heard, hasn’t anyone ever told you’, The wicked! All they do is scheme. They set traps and attack those who are righteous, like hunters that lay in wait to kill.
Hey man, (Slap - on the side of the head) The Lord is in heaven and He knows what is going on. He puts everyone to the test - as one tests a weld. Those who are ‘good welds’ He shows off and He is proud of and admires: they are His trophies that He shows to everyone. Those who fail are not good for any practical use. Like a ‘bad weld’ that cracked they are discarded and will eventually be melted down at the ‘foundry’.

Each situation was different. Yet in each one I sense God leading me into a peace. Whether it was sharing God's word with another, receiving an attitude of peace from God or even just standing for what I believe to be 'right' , I believe God is showing me more and more how to 'live in peace' in His way.

May God speak good to you even as you have read the above.

Maiden, bringer of peace