FINDING PEACE

Chapter 3: The Path to Peace I’ve pondered that it’s always clearer how we move forward when we know others are watching. It’s so very different when the only one who knows what you are doing is you alone. But the point here is that you are never really alone. God is always watching. God is waiting for you to make the right choices. The question is, will you? Miss Mazey taught me peace is more than an emotion or an experience. It’s a state of being. You must want to be at peace. There was a time in my life when all I wanted was to be able to be still. No matter what the time of day I couldn’t keep still. It was as if everything ganged up on me at once and no matter what I did I couldn’t get it together. This went on for months, years. Until finally, I took it all to God, asking Him to calm my nerves and make my life simpler. What I learned is that my life was always simple, I made it complicated trying to be who I was not, trying to accomplish what was not for me to do. I came by Miss Mazey’s house after a long day of work. I wanted to soak up the setting sun and be in a place of quiet peace. Seems we liked the sunset best. Sitting on the porch and looking over the flower bed was just what I needed. Miss Mazey’s house wasn’t overly large, but it was comfortable, and being in her presence was always soothing. She has a swing on the porch and rocking chairs side by side. When I pulled up into the yard, I found her sitting on one of the rockers, her Bible in her lap. After pleasantries, a big hug, and a smile from her, I asked her, “Miss Mazey, do you ever wonder, is this all there is? And then find yourself creating projects and activities, trying to fill in the void?” “Oh dear, we all run from one thing to the next,” she said. “Always seeking that elusive something that will make us happy. The problem is it’s elusive. You’ll never find peace until you surrender to it. Not until you really want it! And most of the time we don’t know what peace looks like. We think it’s the absence of something but what it is is the fulfillment of everything. When you have peace, you find yourself happy, joyful, and awash with a good feeling all over.