Peace 


Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Ore Glass
January 21, 2009

(Photograph by Elizabeth Brown)

Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 NLT

I was so delighted to be a part of the sudden snowfall on the Outer Banks earlier this week. I had lamented to my husband a few weeks ago that since moving to Texas, I really missed the snow. It was beautiful to me. It quickly covered over the grass, bushes and the wet flakes stuck to the bare winter branches like a glove. The Outer Banks was flocked in snow and it transformed the bare scenes of winter into a snowy wonderland. There was a stillness about it all. As the snow fell, I felt a calming peace that fell over me, snowflake by snowflake. I got a call to travel from Texas to come to my Daddy’s side on the Outer Banks last week. It appeared that God was calling my Daddy home to Heaven and I just had hours to make it. God is good and I was able to arrive in time to pray and talk to him. Soon after, my Daddy left us for the arms of Jesus. My earthly sadness about losing him was replaced with a supernatural peace that still remains with me. While I wish I had more time with my Daddy, I understand that I don’t understand. Does that make sense? As much as I think I know, I know nothing at all. I don’t know why things have to happen as they do, but what I do know and what my Daddy always said was that God has the Plan. Things change, circumstances come and go, people are born and people die. We have a beginning, middle and an end to our life. We go through seasons. My Dad was in the sunset of his life. God had given us many graces and had mercy on our family during this past week At his service, we showed photos of sunsets that my daughter, his granddaughter took just recently. One of the photos we have used today. But is there anything beyond that sunset, that last breath, or is that all there is…just an end to a life? I believe that John 3:16 tells us that there is eternal life. That Jesus paid the price for us so we could live eternally. My Dad had a dream in his last hours that he was sitting in a chair on the “sunny side”…..I believe Daddy saw heaven in his dream. It seemed to comfort him and it comfirms in my heart that there is something that lies beyond the sunset for us when our time comes to leave this earth. This week when the snow fell, I know that my Daddy knew how much I loved snow and perhaps he placed a “special order” for me when he got to Heaven. It humors me to think of it that way. I do know that without God’s Peace covering us like snow covers the earth; we couldn’t get through this time. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit as the Comforter in all things. I believe that when any of us feels sadness and despair, when we are thrown a curve or our plans are redirected, I believe we can ask for God’s Peace. We don’t have to go through difficult times alone. Our Heavenly Father provides His Peace that only we can find in Him.