Finding Peace

I go where the waters are calm

And the only sounds are nature

Natural

Calming 

Peaceful

Where I can't even count the many shades of green

Or the many types of birds that I hear.

A few passersby walk the path

Or I hear a runner's feet landing hard as they push on.

Acorns land just as hard on the ground

Signaling that change is coming.

Life is hard.

I pray these changes produce good things.

May love prevail and see us through.

May happiness stay within reach

Even when there are tears.

May pains subside quickly.

Give us strength to not just endure each day

but give us joy.

Help us to remember the joy of the Lord is our strength.

Please give us peace, strength, joy.

Help us to be an encouragement, faithful and to find happiness.

Give us calmness in the chaos.

Give us peace, the peace that passes all understanding.

Do not let it elude us.

And now in my peaceful place, I hear sirens in the distance, a reminder we live in troubled times.

May God protect us. 

This too shall pass.

"Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." 

I Corinthians 13:7

 

Pre-Saved: Brushes with death

I was thinking about the times in my life that I was saved from death. The first time I was only about 6 years old. The neighbor boy, the same age, just snapped because I wouldn't play what he wanted to play. (Later it became evident that he had mental issues). He picked up a huge boulder and carrying it over his head was going to throw it at my head. I ran and my mother was able to intercept him. My Mom truly saved my life.

Time number two, I was a young teen who didn't know how to swim well. An older wise guy pushed me off a small bridge on a pond thinking it would be funny. It was over my head, and I panicked. When he realized I couldn't swim, he had to jump in and save me. My adversary had to save me.

I was in my 20's when a car crossed over my lane and was going to hit us head on. I quickly veered to the right and traveled a little way before coming to a stop. My co-worker said all he could see were telephone poles and mailboxes and was grateful how I handled the situation. My own reactions saved me that time. 

There was a time when I declined an invitation to go with a friend somewhere. She had an accident, and the passenger side of her car was crushed. A change of plans saved me.

The most recent time was when I had a heart attack. My husband who drove me to the emergency room and the medical staff saved me. 

I hadn't really added up my brushes with death and how I was saved. I bet there are ways we all have avoided death and never really knew it--being a few minutes earlier or later put us out of danger. Or making directional decisions changed our day. 

There will come a time when death will not be just a brush away. But when it does, I can know that I am saved from eternal suffering, and I will be in heaven where I won't need to be rescued anymore. It's not my Mom, or another person, or circumstances that will save me, but Jesus by his sacrifice and my belief. I guess you can say, I'm pre-saved. Are you?

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9.