Finding Peace…

Life is riddled with uncertainty. Will I get the job? I was one of 50 candidates that interviewed… I put my best foot forward, and even sent thank you e-mails and made a follow-up call… Now it’s out of my hands. Why am I still so stressed about it? Or maybe you already have the job, but you made a mistake and your superiors are going to use you as an example to your colleagues. Will you get to keep your job? If they put you on some sort of probation, is it really a probation? Or is it one step closer to being escorted from the building… It’s hard to stay positive in times of stress and doubt, especially when your livelihood might be on the line.

Maybe instead of job security, you need relationship security. Perhaps you’ve been in a committed relationship for years, but lately, you’ve been out of touch with one another. Your partner doesn’t seem satisfied with the way things are, and neither are you, but you don’t know how to start repairing things. Will your relationship ever recover? Is your partner even interested in making things work? Sometimes fear and doubt can paralyze you… The simplest answer might be right in front of you, but you’re afraid that if you do anything, you might make things worse…

There are infinite scenarios in which uncertainty can creep into our hearts and minds. It’s perfectly natural for that to happen! We are only human after all… But when you are feeling that crippling fear – that paralyzing doubt and uncertainty – close your eyes, bow your head, and send those fears and doubts up to God. Pray. It’s amazing what an honest conversation with God can do for you.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

– Philippians 4:6-7

I am far from perfect. I am working on being a better person every single day, but I have dark moments. Moments when I’m impatient, unkind, unforgiving, lazy, hypocritical, etc…. it’s a long list. I pray ALL THE TIME. Why? Because I know I’m not perfect. I know that I need help. I cannot do this alone and I need God to be with me always. I will sometimes lose my patience with the beautiful and mischievous Elaina and anger fills me. I have to walk away and bow my head and pray. She might follow me and stand right next to me, scream at the top of her lungs that she wants cookies for breakfast and nothing else will suffice, but I just have to pause and take a deep breath, because I am in the middle of a serious conversation with God. My prayer in a situation like that looks something like this: “Dear God, I need help. Please help me to appreciate this beautiful, strong-willed little girl. Help me to not use angry words and harsh tones. Please help me to be patient with her as she is only three years old. Why do I expect her to listen to me, God? Help me to remember that she’s only three years old. Three-year-olds are ROUGH………..” and the prayer would continue, and what’s amazing is that, usually, by this point, 75% of my anger is already gone. The prayer begins to transform into gratefulness. I thank God for giving me this beautiful girl and I thank him for all that is good in my life… Just speaking with God gives me peace and redirects my thoughts. Knowing that God is listening to me, has his arms around me, and cares that I am struggling, turns my thoughts in a positive direction, creating more positivity throughout the rest of my day.

Prayer also works for times of stress and uncertainty. Just try it. Pray to God. Ask him to fill you with confidence. Ask him to fill you with peace, knowing that God is always with you. God is in control. God will never abandon you. He only wants what is best for you. When you realize that your all-powerful Father is protecting you, blessing you, and guiding you toward great things, you’ll begin to feel a tranquility come over you. True peace is completely trusting God. It will come to you when you finally give up the illusion of control. This is very hard to do because so many of us want to believe that we can control our narratives and if we’re truly diligent, we can ensure that fewer bad things can happen to us… While I agree that you should live your life as responsibly as you can by following the commandments and continuing to grow in the Fruits of the Holy Spirit, I believe it is necessary to let go of the notion that you can control everything.

Shew! That was a long post… Just know that peace is not a quick process. It takes a lot of prayer and prayer takes a lot of practice. Don’t be discouraged if it takes you a while to get “in a groove” with your prayer life. If you ever have any questions or need help, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us!

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

– John 15:7

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Also, this is only my second blog post (woo hoo!), so I need some feedback. What do you like about my post(s) so far? What needs improvement? I am completely open to any and all criticisms. I want to continue to grow as a person and blogger! So any and all comments are warmly welcomed.

And if you feel that this post could help someone, please share it. Thank you for your help and God bless you!

Britanny