This song, by Laura Story, was the first one that played when I turned on Pandora this morning, and it’s been a good reminder after the last few days and weeks.

Perfect peace.  That sounds really nice.  But peace is not the absence of violence or a lack of trouble.  Peace is so much more than that.  God’s peace is shalom, a quiet goodness that is not dependent upon circumstances.  It is perfect because he knows what we need, when we need it.  His peace is perfect, but it isn’t always what we expect.

Though this life is hard, He will still give us perfect peace.  When no one sees the tears you cry, the pain that you hide behind that smile, He will still give us perfect peace.  But that peace does not mean that He will calm the waters raging at our feet, or the winds that whip around us.  It does not mean that the pain will go away, or that the sorrow will be gone tomorrow.  His perfect peace means that we will never be alone in our lives, in the good and the bad.  His perfect peace won’t solve all our problems overnight, or that it will ever get easier.  His perfect peace is exactly what we need, though.  It’s not what we expect, but it is what we need.  And I am so grateful.

Because I’m one of those people who cries behind closed doors.  I’m one of those people who hides the pain behind the smile.  I’m one of those people who says  I’m fine when I”m really not (unless, of course, fine means frustrated, insecure, neurotic and emotional).  I’m one of those people who tries to do it all myself.  I’m one of those people who is broken, hurting, imperfect, struggling, in need of Christ.  I’m one of those people who needs His perfect peace.  And I’m one of those people who has to throw my expectation of peace out the window, because His perfect peace is what I need, not some human interpretation of peace.  The storms aren’t going to go away tomorrow.  My soul needs the rain.   The wind isn’t going to die down immediately.  Sometimes I need my expectations to be blown away in the wind.  I need His perfect peace.  And He has given it to me freely.  Thank God.