Peace

so i've been praying for peace in our family. and with the prayers comes some mediation on this verse:

[Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14.27]

so as i ponder peace, and this Jesus who gives it, i begin to think about my responsibility to peace. am i the one representing peace to my family? does troy recognize peace in me? do the kids see that i'm offering them peace? or am i acting in the opposite way - uptight, filled with anxiety, etc? unfortunately i've not been so great at displaying peace around them.

so yesterday i was listening to pandora and sara groves's song 'loving a person' came on. here are the lyrics:

Loving a person just the way they are, it's no small thing
It takes some time to see things through
Sometimes things change, sometimes we're waiting
We need grace either way
Hold on to me
I'll hold on to you
Let's find out the beauty of seeing things through
There's a lot of pain in reaching out and trying
It's a vulnerable place to be
Love and pride can't occupy the same spaces baby
Only one makes you free
Hold on to me
I'll hold on to you
Let's find out the beauty of seeing things through
If we go looking for offense
We're going to find it
If we go looking for real love
We're going to find it

God has an amazing way of using the lyrics to songs by sara groves to pull me closer to His heart. i remember when i was in tanzania, and was lovely and missing everything 'normal', and He brought one of sara groves songs into my life. the song is called 'He's always been faithful'. here are the lyrics:

Morning by morning I wake up to find the power and comfort of God's hand in mine. Season by season I watch him amazed, in awe of the mystery of his perfect ways. . Chorus: All I have need of his hand will provide. He's always been faithful to me. I can't remember a trial or a pain he did not recycle to bring me gain. I can't remember one single regret in serving God only and trusting his hand. This is my anthem, this is my song, the theme of the stories I've heard for so long. God has been faithful, he will be again. His loving compassion, it knows no end.