Three Word Wednesday :: Peace & Pace

“But if my hope is in a sovereign God who never changes – if my peace and my pace come from him and if I believe he is who he says he is and if I trust him to shepherd and shape my calling and the conditions of my life – then I’m less likely to get rattled. God speaks light and flings stars and multiples cells and sets the fetal heart beating. He’s way ahead of online cultures that morph and mushroom overnight. He’s bigger than politics, bigger than physical safety or danger, bigger than what’s trending today and forgotten tomorrow, bigger than both the landscape and the velocity of change. He’s bigger than fear.”

{From “Dragons and Dirt” by Dalene Reyburn}

I can get rattled and lose perspective. Sometimes I rush my kids to bed because I’m tired. I’ve been known to hurry people out the door or into a store because I want to tackle a to-do list of tasks cluttering my mind. Unexpected detours can make me frazzled and I don’t like to be late.

But I know God has me on a journey toward peace.

The journey has been long. And while I don’t think it actually has a starting point, I can pinpoint first noticing it in my soul when we were trying to conceive a baby and couldn’t. There are landmark moments, where I’ve posted signs in my mind as I look back.

Peace came when I let go of trying to have a baby and turned my attention to adoption. Peace was present when I made schooling decisions for my kids, finished writing projects, and talked with friends about real life. Peace comes in the presence of God.

My life hasn’t lacked peace entirely, but I’ve been rattled more often than I care to admit. God is teaching me more about what living with peace as my perspective means. I want to mark more moments on this journey with evidence of peace and joy.

For me, peace is so often related to my pace. 

I like to be on the go. I like trips and celebrations. I like being with my people. And I like dreaming of what’s next. But I can’t be like that every day. I need that part of the journey to have some pit stops included so I can catch my breath, re-establish my perspective, and process the action.

I know when my pace slows, God gives me a chance to understand peace – the peace that only he can give, the peace that passes my understanding. {Tweet that.}

Whether I’m moving or slowing or stopping, God’s there. He’s not surprised with my personality that sometimes seems it’s made up of contradictions. He’s not caught off guard when I need to regroup and refresh. He wants me to see him – how he’s prepared me, how he’s gone before me, and how he was with me in the past.

I wrote 24,049 words in my ebook and used “peace” in the title. And here I am still learning about this five-letter word and how really it’s the center of so much else for me.

God is using the foundation of where I’ve been to prepare me for what’s next, even if I don’t know what that looks like. {Tweet that.} But he is sovereign, never changes, gives light to the darkness, creates life, and promises to be with us.
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A few housekeeping notes :: I’m going to write more about “Dragons and Dirt: The Truth About Changing the World – and The Courage It Requires” by Dalene Reyburn soon. This book surprised me with how much it’s speaking into my life. I’m marking whole paragraphs that I want to remember and come back to. That quote above is one of them.

Also, I have a super fun announcement on Sunday {my 36th birthday!} so be sure to come back then. I hope you’ll be glad you did.
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An InLinkz Link-up

I'm also linking up with the Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood Gathering. 

Want more insights? "Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family" is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin', or subscribe to receive "Insights in Your Inbox."