PEACE

Today was a day of contradictions. I found myself thinking about peace and how much we need it just to function in life with a sense of health.

I started by visiting someone at the E.R. He's had some fairly mysterious things happening in his body of late and the docs aren't sure what is going on there. We talked about how different it must be not to know Christ in this life and how others get on - or not - without the peace that comes at moments like these from knowing Him.

As soon as I drove away and stopped at the corner red light, a young man pulled up next to me in a little red Beetle. His driver's side window was open slightly and he was flicking the ends of his cigarette butt outside. I watched him for a minute at least and noticed he was extremely jittery. He had a cell phone in the other hand and was looking one way and then the other, left to right, almost as if he expected someone to jump from the street into his car any second. He seemed very agitated by the phone conversation he was having. His head kept flicking from side to side and I wondered if he was 'on' something. The entire time sitting at the stoplight he did this, extremely nervous.

I picked up my own cell phone and placed a call to a friend who is near death. Her family talked with me. They told me they knew God was in control no matter what happened. I could sense a rest and comfort coming right thru the phone. I hoped they were gathering the same from my end thru their phone.

I went to the do-it-yourself car wash. Very busy today. Long lines waiting. Everybody cleaning their cars what with the warmer weather. The guy two cars in front of me whose turn it was to wash his car was having problems. He was giving some wild gestures to his car or someone inside. I had my window rolled up so I couldn't hear him, but he was reading the riot act to whatever or whoever as well. He turned around and gave the money receptacle a good swift kick. It worked just fine when I finally got my turn in the wash, no thanks to him.

On my way out of the car wash, I placed another phone call ... this one to a lady on the edge of life if she doesn't receive some help for her liver and a bone marrow replacement. She told me how confident she was that God was able to not only see her but help her. There was no doubt in my heart that she meant what she said.

Five people. Two different responses to life. One full of peace; one oozing frustration. Even in the most dire circumstances of life, the one filled with God receives the coveted gift of knowing rest. May it be yours.

And be blessed.