On The Winds Of Peace … Hello weekend readers. My musings today have taken me to that precious word peace! In our world, peace is often hidden behind wars, tragedies, political upheaval, broken families, health, finances, work problems—and so much more. Peace seems to elude us.

Buck Storm who is an author, rodeo rider, singer whose stories and what he calls “life happenings” is a mutual friend in the writer/authors groups like I am. I asked him if I could share a story from his life about a BIG TREE. He said “Y’all can read it and share it cause someone out there needs a slice of peace.” So here goes the story of the BIG TREE…

“The tree had to have been over 100 years old—a massive Red Fir towering over the corner of the house just outside my daughter’s bedroom window. I loved the Fir most but I definitely didn’t love it when the wind blew hard from the west and the thing would bend like a reed, becoming a hundred-foot club. If it snapped, it would reduce our old farmhouse to sticks. So I’d say “Everybody up, we’re sleeping in the basement tonight.” My daughter would groan and say “Dad there is spiders down there” and I told her “Spiders are better than hospitals.” I’m fairly sure she adamantly disagrees with this statement to this day. But I knew the tree had to go. My family’s well-being took precedence. 

Still, I hated to remove something so old and beautiful. And you know what, I’ve found it’s much the same in my life. Sometimes there are beautiful things, happy things, things I’ve had forever, but if I’m honest, I know they can be dangerous when the winds of my flesh kick up. Way too many times I’ve hard-headedly ignored the weather report and allowed unchecked metaphorical Firs to crush my life to rubble. But after a lot of years and crash landings, it’s starting to sink in—peace is more beautiful than any tree!

Buck is right, we do need peace but so often we get caught in our ‘whirlwinds of life’ and we forget the gift of peace that God gave us. I love this anonymous quote: “Peace with God, peace with all people, peace in my soul.” It reminds me of the words from the Apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 3:16 [Voice] “And now, dear friends, may the Lord of peace Himself grace you with peace always and in everything. May the Lord be present with all of you.”

It won’t be long before Christmas gets here. Buck’s story reminded me of the peace that holy night when the shepherds were tending their flocks and the angels arrived singing joyful songs and then said, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among people with whom He is pleased.” [Luke 2:14 NASB]

And here is another one about peace that captures my soul: John 14:27 [TPT] “I leave the gift of peace with you—my peace. Not the kind of fragile peace given by the world, but my perfect peace. Don’t yield to fear or be troubled in your hearts—instead, be courageous!”

And last of all, take these words from Philippians 4:7 [Voice] “And know that the peace of God—a peace that is beyond any and all of our human understanding—will stand watch over your hearts and minds in Jesus, the Anointed One.”

O Lord, we pray that you will give us eyes to see the danger and the strength to act. Then we will surely know that you will Rock Us To Sleep On The Winds Of Peace! AMEN.