Post #73- Peace, Part 2

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“Peace of mind is worth more than all the tea in China!”

~Virginia Thrash

my Grandmother

My grandmother, though she didn’t have a college education, was simply the wisest person I’ve ever known. She was so right, at some point we must evaluate our lives. The word “evaluate” simply means to take assessment of the value of a thing. In other words, at some point in life we will likely be faced with making a decision regarding what we value or deem important. Do we value peace…or do we value the opinions of others? Do we value peace….or do we value material things and status symbols? Do we value peace…or do we place value on the companionship of a significant other…any ol’ other!

In my last blog post I lifted a scripture from Psalms 34 (the 14^th verse) in which we are compelled to “seek peace and pursue it!” It’s important to understand, first, that I don’t believe God asks us to do something or seek something that cannot be done or cannot be found. So, no matter what the naysayers say…PEACE IS POSSIBLE in the world!

Secondly, we can’t overlook that the Hebrew word for “peace” is Shalom. The noun שלומ (shalom) refers to one who has, or has been provided, what is needed to be whole and complete. Likewise, the verb shalam means to "restore" in the sense of replacing or providing what is needed in order to make someone or something whole and complete. Therefore, we must remember that peace isn’t simply the absence of something (chaos, turmoil, anxiety, conflict, etc.) but the presence of something (wholeness and completeness).

Peace is possible…peace is the presence of wholeness and completeness. Peace is the state of nothing missing, nothing broken. It is a sense of contentment and harmony with what was, what is and whatever is to be. (In my spiritual imagination, I sense it’s like the feeling you get after a good meal with good company…you rear back and all seems to be ok in the world…ahhh, this is peace…This reminds me of the line from the great movie, “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” in which the innkeeper says, “In the end everything will be ok, and if it is not ok, it is not yet the end.”)

Again, in my spiritual imagination, and in fact in my meditation time not long ago, I saw life as a windstorm and peace as a handle or knotted rope, anchoring us. This is what peace does, when life comes at us with torrential winds, if we can just hold our peace, we will be centered and anchored in a supernatural presence. I believe, that first and foremost, this anchoring force is the truth that we have peace with God.

As stated in the last post I want to address what it means to have peace with God, peace with ourselves, and ultimately peace with others (because, anecdotally, the latter can’t occur without the former). But for now, I want to leave with you this…

This is not the end of our story. Our best days are not behind us; they are ahead of us. Peace is the presence of something, something divine. Without it the winds of life will blow us to and fro…with it we are anchored and steady and ready to receive all of the #bigthingscoming.

NOTE: If you’re new to the site it might be helpful to read the first (introductory) post. Also, feel free to post your questions or comments here and you can always reach out to me on Twitter @raycjordan using the hash tag #bigthingscoming.

(Copyright, 2014, Ray Jordan)

Post #72- Peace

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(forgive my congestion)

“You are—and have always been—and will forever be, enough.”

~Klay Willaims,

Author, Lifestyle Consultant, and my Friend

Ok everyone; we’re a little more than a month into the New Year! So…how’s it going? I don’t know about you, but I began 2014 with a renewed sense of hope and purpose. I was so ready for change in the new year I dedicated a whole blog series to it (see Posts #66-71). However, as many of you know, transition isn’t always simple and just because it’s necessary and good doesn’t make it easy.

Please don’t’ misunderstand me, I am no less excited and prepared for the #bigthingscoming as I was a month ago. However I am also aware that if one values peace in their life, you must be intentional about obtaining it; and believe me, the first six weeks of 2014 have offered ample opportunity for me to lose peace and embrace anxiety, worry, frustration, and conflict.

One of my favorite scriptures is found in Psalms 34:14. It reads:

“Turn from Evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue it.”

Peace is something most desire and all need, but what does it mean and how do we achieve it?  I love this scripture, primarily because it not only places value on the presence of peace but also suggests that desiring it isn’t enough. Rather, one must be intentional about making space for peace. Indeed we must seek and pursue it.

Author Steven Pressfield suggests that every time we set out in any noble direction, there is always resistance or push back we must overcome to achieve greatness. When I was growing up in church I used to hear them say “new levels, new devils.” In any case, as I began to prepare a new series on “peace” for the weekly Sunday School class I teach, I seemed to either serendipitously or through a series of unfortunate events, be faced with emotions and circumstances that were antagonistic to a life of inner peace.

For example, last weekend my daughter auditioned for acceptance into a local arts magnet high school. While sitting and waiting with other parents, I struck up a conversation a lovely lady whose daughter was also auditioning for the theatre department. As we casually chatted she began to share that her daughter was currently attending a local private school with an international focus. She also shared that, subsequently, her daughter, an 8^th grader, was fluent in French. During the course of the conversation she also shared that her ex-husband was a cardiovascular surgeon who also had a PhD in molecular biology and that she, though not completely satisfied with her career, was a well-paid member of the corporate world. While this mother was not at all pretentious, the more she shared the smaller I became. The more perfect her family appeared, the more inadequate I felt and the more I feared that my daughter, too, was not ‘enough.’

So, during the course of our conversation, though I did not lie directly, I alluded that I had already completed my PhD.  While I am working very hard to finish my dissertation this year (it should have been finished last year) I am not yet finished, but felt compelled to say I was. This was done, not to make myself feel better, but in hopes that I wouldn’t “appear” to be so insufficient in contrast.

When I left that place my soul was troubled. Me, of all people,….the one who teaches and preaches and blogs about and believes fiercely that one’s value is not found in the extrinsic trappings of materialism and status symbols, I ßfell to ego’s temptation. I was so ashamed…I’m still ashamed.

When I got home, I simply wanted to weep. I wanted to not only weep out of regret and repentance for speaking mistruth…but out of the sympathy I felt for the little boy still in pain. The feelings of insecurity and inadequacy were merely a symptom of childhood pain I’m, apparently, still healing.

I don’t know about you, but I’m determined to be healed! I refuse to allow the pain of the past to wreak havoc in the promise of my future. I WILL HAVE PEACE!! And the process, the path begins now.

I believe wholeheartedly that we are living in eternity now. Eternity means infinity, or time without beginning or end. Therefore, we don’t have to “wait” for God to move or God to heal or God to change or God to bless. God is indeed moving, healing, changing, blessing now and its up to us to join that movement and step into that flow. I know all things are lessons to be learned, purely invitations for us to live our best lives and rise a to our highest good. Therefore, the path to peace, whether through comfortable or uncomfortable means, begins right now, if only I’ll take it.

For the next few posts I’d like to continue this conversation surrounding peace (please join by posting comments in the comment section below). Peace with God, peace with ourselves and peace with others. There’s healing yet to be experienced….and even when you know that you know…there’s another level of knowing yet to be known. For…

This is not the end of my story. My best days are not behind me; they are ahead of me. I will seek peace. I will pursue it. The pain of the past will not rob me of it, the path of deliverance will lead me to it for I’m positioning myself for all of the #bigthingscoming.

NOTE: If you’re new to the site it might be helpful to read the first (introductory) post. Also, feel free to post your questions or comments here and you can always reach out to me on Twitter @raycjordan using the hash tag #bigthingscoming.

(Copyright, 2014, Ray Jordan)