Mom, Protect Your Peace

There's something so prevalent with the word: "peace". Typing it into google, the meaning comes up as "freedom from disturbance" and for the last year I've held so tightly to peace. What I've realized is that my peace cannot come from my surroundings or from within. Nope, my peace can only come from the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. It's not easy to be peace-filled at all times and through all circumstances, that's why it's so important for us to protect it. As a mom of four children, juggling or better yet "balancing" a lot on my plate, the importance of protecting my peace have become more and more relevant. I have felt a disturbance in my own peace on a regular basis, at times, even daily. No amount of herbal calmettes can ever help me as much as being face-to-face with Jesus Christ. I can go to him broken, with no solution to a problem, in tears, anger, even hopelessness. Every single time after I leave my time in prayer, I feel strong, confident, hopeful and filled with peace. Peace, I can rest in, even when the world pushes in all it's usual ways.

For the last few months we've dealt with a whole lot of health issues, as a family, and as I'm typing this my youngest is currently getting over Chicken Pox. Fun. I'm sure as moms we all know the sacrifices we make, and yes, dad's too, but the sacrifice a mom makes will often times be at a personal cost, for example we might not get to sleep when baby is teething, our meals and coffees are cold and usually gulfed down so that the least amount of time would be allocated to it. Don't even get me started on having a chance to take a shower or just going to the loo. I remember having to go to the loo with a crying baby in my arms... more than once. That's being a mom and even if the liberals might disagree with me, that's one of our God-given purposes as women and if God has called us to be mothers that means that he has equipped us for it. He gives us everything we need to deal with those difficult seasons. My favourite being grace, oh how I needed it and still do. Grace when I lacked patience, grace when I couldn't do it perfectly, grace when I couldn't have it all together. Oh how grateful I am for grace.

I remember when the children were babies and at times as they would cry and I reached my breaking point of pure exhaustion, I would cry with them. I remember the days where they needed me for everything, how they were so dependent on me but now with our eldest being 13 and youngest 8, they don't depend on me as much anymore. It's a relief, but their needs change, from needing me for food, burping, nappy changes and comfort, they now need me for guidance, encouragement and nurturing.

I saw a mom and dad with their 3 toddlers in Spar the other day and they struggled so much as each of their toddlers wanted to go into different directions. Their eyes locked on their children, barely looking up, saying in exhaustion, "please excuse us" as they would pass a crowd of starring patrons. As we got to pass them, with our 4 older children, I couldn't help but smile and tell them that before they know it, they will be all grown up and that this won't last forever. They smiled and appreciated the encouragement and we all got to share in a giggle of how this moment of not feeling in control still could bring joy. Joy that not many could relate to. Joy because it's all going to be okay.

My encouragement to you is to protect your peace. Maybe protecting your peace can mean, not checking social media regularly, unfollowing creators or pages who are negative or just keeping you distracted and zoomed in (distracted) for long periods of time with nonsense, really. Maybe protecting your peace is going for a walk instead of watching another episode of a series. Maybe protecting your peace would be cleaning up your environment, doing some chores or getting to that dreaded pile that's been eyeing you for attention for the last few months.

For me, protecting my peace, is by keeping a relatively tidy home, being organized, limiting time on social media and television, reading books, going for walks and even limiting my social calendar so that majority of my time is spent with my husband and children. Yes, friends are good, but it's not my top priority just because I find, if my calendar is booked full, my family don't get a great version of me. Instead, they get an exhausted, side-tracked mom running from one task to another. I have found blocking out times in my calendar weekly to rest and spend with my family, even just doing nothing is such a beautiful gift.

God taught us the importance of rest and we have treasured it and have taken it more seriously over the last year. It has helped us so much when planning our calendar as we've realized that our family as a whole is much more happier, healthier and more peace-filled when we simplify our lives. As parents we also know that we only have a few more years left with the children in the house and so we do want to enjoy it with them to the fullest. It's all we'll ever have with them, we cannot ever get it back.

So if you struggle with peace, remember that your only source of peace is Jesus Christ. Pray and spend time with the Lord and let the Holy Spirit guide you and help you to identify what you need to do to protect your peace. You can ask Jesus to give you strength, peace and patience for the day and He will give it to you. I find myself praying for this daily, lately.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 ~ Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

John 14:27 ~ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Colossians 3:15 ~ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Philippians 4:6-7

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Psalms 4:8

8 In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Romans 5:1

1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Psalms 29:11 11 The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.

1 Peter 5:7

7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Philippians 4:7

7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.