February 10-Gift of Peace

When someone on Facebook has a birthday, I make it a point to give each person a blessing. I give the same one to everyone, but just because everyone gets the same one, doesn not mean that each one isn’t heart felt. The blessing goes like this, “May the coming year bring you peace,prosperity, good health, and happiness.”

I came up with this greeting right after my sister died. I really loved here and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t miss the phone conversations that we used to have. Whenever I post that on someone’s birthday greeting it is as though she is right there with me blessing that person with that greeting. I feel as though I am honoring her memory when I do.

The first part of the blessing is that I pray that you have peace. Although the Bible speaks of “peace” as a fruit of the spirit rather than a gift of the spirit, it is a bi-product of the gift of love that God gives us.

May the peace of God richly bless you (Needs reference).

When we realize God’s love for us, we know that he wants the best for us. In this realization, we understand that he has our back so we have peace when we know him. It s is like a baby who knows that when he or she cries out, the baby’s mother will come running to comfort the child. This baby is secure in the knowledge that the baby’s mother will come. This baby is content and grows into a happy childhood. A baby that does not feel this security, that has had his or her mother not there when the child needed her is less likely to feel secure and will fuss a whole lot more. This is not to say that every child whose mother comforts the child will always feel security however. The mother may be there and yet for some reason the child does not feel that security. There is something else going on in that child’s life.. God is always there for us, but even though he is always there, we do not always feel it for some reason.It is only in the realization that we know we can trust him that we are confident in that peace.

If we do not recognize God’s role in our lives, we however cannot have any real peace. There is a peace that is deceptive. Like the peace of someone on a river but is getting ready to go over the falls. The only way we can obtain lasting peace is through our acceptance of Christ’s love gift on the cross.

Donna Brown is pastor at Faith in God Church  1 1/2 miles south of Brandsville, Missouri on Hwy 63. Sunday services are at 10 am and Wednesday night Bible Study at 6:30 pm.   As Author Cygnet Brown, she  has recently published her first nonfiction book: Simply Vegetable Gardening: Simple Organic Gardening Tips for the Beginning Gardener

She is also the author of historical fiction series The Locket Saga. which includes When God Turned His Head and Soldiers Don’t Cry, the Locket Saga Continues, and most recently, A Coward’s Solace, Book III of the Locket Saga

Her most recent publication were two booklets Help From Kelp and Using Diatomaceous Earth Around the House and Yard. Available in paperback.

.For more information about Cygnet Brown and her book, check out her website at http://www.cygnetbrow.com .