“Peace I Leave with You”
“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).
What stress, what strain, what difficulty can not be relieved by such a promise? I have so many things in my life that cause me distress, from the petty troubles like downtime for my website to the deeper consideration and angst that comes with the weight of the responsibility of shaping and creating another’s formative life, but the fact is that they are small things, as huge as they seem, and are contained well within this speck of life we call mortality.
Still, so often, I find my mind utterly racked with their cacophonous song. It is never long before the chaos spreads, and I find my heart pounding and my head aching. My troubles just seem so BIG, and like many problems in life, they are not anything that can be set to rights with any easy action. I simply have to leave them unresolved, and that is so hard. I feel as if I’ll never be at ease again, and then I remember. I remember His promise.
He gives us His peace–a peace of eternal scope, perfectly balanced and orchestrated. It is a the peace of a mind that has seen it all, felt all human suffering. It is a peace that has known my current travail and rested unwavered. We must never forget in our suffering that the Lord has felt it all, already, and still He gives us peace.
He does not give it as the word gives; he gives it freely, with nor price but our own happiness and rejoicing in it. He does not give it hollowly; His promises are sure. He just gives it.
There can be no suffering that is greater than His peace, for He knew all suffering and yet had peace to give. There is no terror, mental or physical, that can keep that peace from my heart. And so, with that in mind, I let my troubles go and my fear blow away with the wind.
Thank-you, Lord. Thank-you.
June 28th, 2006 15:25
My college roommates used to mock me because I said this so often, but “this is one of my favorite scriptures!” My mom used to tell me that there is only one feeling that the adversary can’t mimic, and that is peace. (I think I read that from Pres. Monson sometime more recently.) I love to know that peace is one of those things that can connect me to heaven, that it’s one of those blessings of the Spirit that opens up the power of the Atonement in my life. For me, it is one of the most treasured blessings of the gospel and knowledge of the plan of salvation — that I can feel peace, even when the world and its turmoil as well as my life and its turmoil are swirling around me. Thank you for this post.
June 28th, 2006 17:25
Nicely said, especially since he continues to give peace.
June 29th, 2006 10:15
Thanks for this reminder, Naiah. In the midst of whatever chaos we may find ourselves, when we think we must be ever so busy to just keep from sinking into despair, this verse reminds us where our comfort lies. I also like Psalms 46:10 (also D&C 101:16) “Be still and know that I am God.”
June 30th, 2006 11:39
Very true. Nice reminder. Thanks, Naiah.
June 30th, 2006 14:18
I find myself reading this days later, almost as if someone else wrote it, and yeah, it’s just the reminder that I need on a day like today…I’m glad I wrote it.
Thanks & you’re welcome, Michelle, Stephen, RoAnn, & Jen.
July 1st, 2006 20:37
I think that my next topic in scripture study will be peace.
Thanks