Peace like a River

Peace: (noun) cessation of or freedom from any strife or dissension.

Content: (adjective) satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else.

During the CHRISTmas season, I often times let my mind wander [partly because my brain is being fried by finals and papers]and it often times leads me to meditate on words of the season. You know, those words that are on the front of every CHRISTmas card, the ones that appear as every other word in carols, the ones that you can find spelled out in lights. Joy, Praise, Thankfulness, and Peace and just a few that immediately come to mind, and I will spare you from making an even bigger list and add one more repetition of them to your day. 

Anyways, PEACE [or paz as my Spanish final would show] has been the word at the forefront of my mind lately with a variety of situations at hand. I am a person who loves to be in control of my life [and maybe sometimes the lives of others], part of this has been learning to find contentment in all of my circumstances. Sure, the job market is scatter-brained, but I have grown content with an English Education major and don't know what I would do if I had to change. I have been single for 20 years of life and am perfectly content remaining single for the rest of my life. I am content in just attending my church at school and not venturing into it much further. I am content at being a Campus Ministries Coordinator on my floor for two years and living on the same floor my entire college life. I am content with my friend group and have to push myself to expand it. 

I am learning that circumstances are always changing. Last year, I was content with having my best friends just a minute away. This semester, I was pushed to become content with two of my best friends living 10 hours and 27 hours away from me. Next semester, I am being pushed to be content with my best friend moving to England [a.k.a. no texting or calling and a 6 hour time difference instead of 2]. Life changes. What I have to be content with changes.

However, I am learning that maybe there is a difference between being content and being at peace with something: two words that would often being considered synonymous [thats a really big word for me]. The more I think though, the more that I see the definitions differently. Content means being at peace with what you have RIGHT now, the circumstances that you are in RIGHT now. Contentment is constantly evolving. Being at peace is being content in where you are right now AND where you could be five seconds from now at the same time. Peace isn't found in a situation or occupation or group of people or major or relationship status...Peace can be found only in the God of the Universe Himself. 

John 14:27 says "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you...Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."  Perfect Peace transcends our present life, it calms our hearts and quiets our deepest fears. Isaiah 66:12 says that God grants us peace like a river. Now, I am not a Bible expert in the least since of the word, but when I think of rivers [a metaphor that is often cliche in the world of English], I think of life; of a source of water teaming with fish and plants; full of currents that can propel boats and rafts. I picture the crazy white river rapids, full of movement. Peace like a river: contentment in movement. 

Now how can we possible find peace when we are clinging to things of this present second? How can we be at peace with the future when we are begging the present to stay the same? When we cling to things of the now, we are bound to go crazy when our world is flipped upside down. When we cling to the rock in the river for dear life, the currents are bound to wipe us away [and down a waterfall if you watch enough movies]. We have to cling to the river itself. How do you cling to a river you might ask? Well, is it ironic that Jesus referred to himself as Living Water to the woman at the well? Wouldn't you consider a river to be live water? hmmm....let's put those two together shall we? We must cling to Jesus, we must come to have peace in the One that is moving us.

So, I give up on being content in the circumstances of the now. I'm throwing my hands up and saying Jesus take the wheel [might as well add another cliche right?]. If God so chooses to change my relationship status, I will be at peace. If God decides to kill Skype [the way I will survive not hearing my best friend for like 5 months], I will have peace. If God decides that I need to move out of the state that I have called home for 20 years, so be it. I will have peace like a river. I will find peace in the Living Water. I will let go of the rock and jump to the ROCK. 

<3