Peace Beyond all Circumstances

Peace...it's a fruit of the spirit that I've been thinking a lot about over the past three weeks. For so long I've been working at being at peace in my life and I've never found it until I lived with God's peace. Because of one man's sin my family is suffering for standing up for righteousness - our future is so unsure, I no longer have health insurance, no free parking, no tuition benefit, and my future is so unsure. We've learned to take it day by day and constantly seek our daily bread, to live in forgiveness and compassion and to keep our hearts right before the Lord. This situation causes my future to be so unsure and with finances tight we should be worrying so much more than we are. But you know what, I've got so much peace in my heart...I shouldn't have peace but I've got it - it's the peace that surpasses all understanding!

This has been the hardest yet probably the most amazing thing to happen to my family. It's been surreal and it feels like something out of a movie or book, but yet it's our life these days. So many tears have been shed, so many nights of crying out to the Lord in pain over how unfair and unjust this situation is - how because of a few men's sin my family is suffering because we stood for what was right. Mom says I am the most innocent person in all of this, how I never had a choice to decide if I wanted to go through this. But actually in my heart I chose to go through it; I chose to stand with my family and suffer through this because I stand for the truth and when something tries to tell me I must not stand for righteousness I will contend that. And you know what, I've got such peace. Peace like a river - it's constantly flowing, constantly coming, and constantly being filled with God's peace. In the light of God's glory, goodness and love all of this appears so small, so insignificant. My mom was given a portion of scripture to meditate on and it's found in 2 Chronicles 20 I believe, where the armies of I think it's the Amalikites were advancing against the King of Israel and God told him as he was advancing toward the battle to take his position, stand still, and watch the Lord's salvation come. And by the time the King reached the battle field all the armies advancing against Israel and turned on one another and killed each other. Let's just say we are at the "stand still" part.

I understand more what God means to suffer for righteousness because that's what is happening to us. And yet we are triumphing in so many ways. My mom has a job interview with the University of St. Thomas tomorrow for a position that has almost the same job requirements but more pay and more of an impact on the student body. Somehow, God made a way for me to find all of my school books for the fall for really cheap. And there are so many other things that have happened. We are at peace, we have joy and are diving deep into the love of God and it's so wonderful and so special. I don't share these things because as a matter of pride but as a testimony to God's mighty hand, and I know that these are not anything like someone being healed or an entire village coming to the Lord but they still matter in big ways. Almost baby steps towards what has planned for our future. It's a testing of our faith, developing perseverance and taking God's Word to heart in a way that we have never done before.

I do not know what the future holds, but because I trust God I've got a peace in my heart, it flows like a river, and it's bigger and lasts for an eternity. It is beyond understanding and it dwarfs any situation I'm in. It's the peace that is not contingent on my situation or circumstance (and I could say that about God's love and joy as well). It's a fruit of the Spirit but it is also a gift from God.

I will update more (as much as I can) when things become a bit more clear.

Blessings!!!!!