FINDING PEACE

AUGUST 11, 2022

Micah 5:4-5

And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.
5 And he shall be their peace.

“How was your vacation?”, I asked, wonderful but it ended to soon, they replied. They go to the same area each year to a cottage on a beautiful lake. It’s quiet, except for the occasional welcome call of a loon, and other wildlife, they talked about the scenery, the hikes, the trees, and the breeze, and the campfire. Sounds alright doesn’t it? They said this is our “two weeks” of Peace each year in an otherwise hectic life.

I have been there, haven’t you? Vacation ends and you wish it was longer, its your break from a hectic life, your few days of peace is now over.

I am so thankful for a beautiful creation that God has gifted us with. We can find these special places that restore our spirits, slow us down, and disconnect from our busy normal life and experience peace.

I have been wondering about this experience of peace, thinking about it and asking the question “Why can I only seem to have such experiences at summer retreat?” I mean wouldn’t it be awesome to experience this more frequently, everyday perhaps?

But How?

You know one of things I notice about myself on such retreats is that I really live in the present moment. I hear the birds, the loon, I see the beauty of a lake and children having a blast on the beach. I take this in because I have slowed down, and the agenda is structured by whatever we want to do.

I don’t have all the answers to my questions. But I wonder, if there isn’t something in this notion of slowing down that could make an impact on the peace I experience away from a vacation retreat.

Slow down. Sometimes, the greatest step we can take toward discovering personal peace is to simply practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is slowing down enough that you are able to pay attention to the present moment, your thoughts, your surroundings, how you feel both physically and mentally. As you practice mindfulness, with God’s help, as one writer put it, “you are able to exercise the “muscle” of your attention on the present moment and receive the moment as a gift from God.”

Right now, in this moment, stop, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and simply pay attention to the present moment. As you do, remind yourself that God is with you, no matter what else may be going on in your heart, mind, and life. Notice when you begin to feel more at peace. Know that if you don’t feel it right away, there's no need to worry: this is called ‘practice’ for a reason. The more you practice being grounded in the present moment, the more beneficial this activity will become.

You may want to use those words of the prayer we have been talking about to be present.

Surely God is in this place. Help me notice.

Inhale: God ( whatever name you use for God) Creator, Heavenly Father etc

Exhale: I am Here

What if being more aware in the present moment brings us some of that peace that we are drawn to and long for. Our Scriptures from Monday made the bold promise that God’s peace does not come to his people for just two weeks on a lake, or beach, but that it is a peace that we can know even in our hectic normal schedules each day.

We are still going need that time away in God's wonderful creation, our retreats. But Just maybe our day to day could be more peaceful with such practices as slowing down and enjoying the present space where we are.


2 Thessalonians 3:16

Now may the Lord of peace himself
give you his peace at all times and in every situation.
The Lord be with you all. Amen.