Fruits of the Spirit: Peace

News was coming from all sides, and none of it was good. My mother - breast cancer. Father-in-law - inoperable intestinal cancer. Daughter's boyfriend - cancer. Leukemia finally took my cousin much too early. Yet in the midst of the storm, peace.

I don't always have this peace, but when I do, I know the source.

This fruit of the Holy Spirit is a peace that surpasses all understanding. Standing in the midst of chaos, knowing deeply that God is present and working in it. Looking at a difficult situation, feeling in your heart that God is calling you to go through it. And when all those things come in one right after the other, this peace allows us to look for God's work within it.

This is the peace that lies behind my book, Be Not Afraid, and every statement uttered in the Bible telling us not to fear. It is the peace behind Peter as he steps out into the storm and starts to walk across the waves to Jesus. It is the peace that is missing as he looks away from Jesus and into the storm surrounding him.

We can find this peace. It's challenging sometimes, but I think Peter's story helps us to remember how. The storm is not where our focus should be. Our focus should be on the one guiding us through it. The waves are just as big, the wind is just as strong, but they are hardly noticeable next to the power and grace flowing towards us.

For today's challenge, I want you to breathe deeply as you face something that intimidates you. The Holy Spirit is also known as the Breath of God. Breathe it in, find that peace, and go forward in it.