Cultivating Peace In The Chaos
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I stood in the checkout lane at Costco, my cart filled with the items I needed for the next week or two. The line wasn’t too long, just what you would expect on a normal Wednesday afternoon.
Little did I know that would be the last “normal” shopping experience for a while. The very next day the President held a press conference on the coronavirus that would send the nation into a panic.
Suddenly there were long lines wrapped around the store just to enter. There were rows of empty shelves everywhere. Meat, produce, and milk, gone. The following week we would go to FOUR stores just to find a gallon of milk for our baby girl.
It was evident that things were changing, fast.
I started consuming news like it was my daily bread. Thinking that if I just somehow stayed informed and up-to-date enough it would ease my anxiety.
What I discovered instead was that my anxiety levels were in direct correlation to how much news and media I consumed: the more I watched, the more anxious I felt and the more questions and uncertainty plagued my mind.
How long will all of this last? Will the economy collapse? Will people we love die? Are my children safe? What if I can’t buy essential things we need because people are hoarding all the food?!
Anxiety is contagious. But the good news? So is peace. So is joy. I knew I needed God’s peace to calm my heart and mind. I turned off the news, knowing I wouldn’t find it there.
So how do we fill up with God’s peace in the midst of a crisis? Here’s what I’m learning.
We worship through the worry. I created a playlist on Apple Music and have been listening to it on repeat. Instead of consuming the news nonstop, I am worshipping nonstop. I am worshipping through the fear, worshipping through the unknowns, and laying it all down at HIS FEET.
My pastor recently said it best: turn your anxiety into prayer. In every situation we can give thanks. Not because nothing bad will happen, but because we trust in a good Father who is faithful through every circumstance, even the bad ones. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:6-7
We let go of what we can’t control, and focus on what we can. If we want to truly walk in peace we have to let go of the things we can’t control. And there’s a lot we can’t control right now. But what can we control? We can control our mindset, by carrying peace with us and passing it along to others. We can control playing our part by washing our hands and staying home to protect others. We can control how we serve and help others, and how we spend our time during this quarantine.
This load is heavy. Far too heavy for any one of us to carry alone. We must put it into the hands of the only one strong enough to carry it.
As I was praying the other night and I felt the presence of the Lord calm all my fears surrounding this crisis. I felt Him encourage me that we will get to the other side of this. I felt His peace quiet my worries and saw His goodness cover the earth. The enemy wants to call attention to himself but it is God that will be glorified when all this is over!
And in the meantime, I’m praying His peace fills you up to the brim, overflowing to everyone around you.
In Love,
Monika
