No one prepared me for this!
Christian was accepted into Texas A&M for the fall of 2015. The pile of his going-to-college stuff got bigger and bigger as the stifling heat of summer intensified and The Day got closer. When it finally arrived, we packed as many boxes as we could into his car and the rest into the SUV we had rented for exactly this purpose, and we hit the road.
It was 105 degrees when we arrived in College Station. I have never sweated as much in my life as I did that day when I carried sheets, towels, pots and pans, boxes of protein bars, and enough popcorn to fill a bus up three flights of stairs. Finally, he was all settled in, and it was time for us to leave.
I will never forget that moment. Christian walked us out to our car. He hugged me for a long time, then looked me in the eyes and said, “Thank you.” He did the same with his dad, and then we watched him turn and walk into all that God has for his life. I cried all the way home.
There are so many stages in life that you may feel unprepared for:
The death of a spouse.
The loss of a job.
Your daughter getting married and moving across the country.
Your darling, only son heading off to college just as you prayed he would, but you had no idea how much it would hurt.
Where is the peace Christ promises in those moments when there is nothing you can do but sit in your new reality? For me, peace comes after admitting to God that I’m not in a good place. Have you noticed in Scripture how often peace comes after a storm? The great news about God is that you don’t have to pretend to be where you’re not. If you’re mad, be mad . . . then receive His peace. If you’re sad, cry till you have no tears left . . . and then receive His peace.
Peace is not something we can lose, because Christ Himself is our peace.
“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.”
Matthew 5:3 NLT
REMEMBER: CHRIST HIMSELF IS OUR PEACE, NO MATTER OUR CIRCUMSTANCES.