“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
-John 14:27
I’m not gonna lie, y’all. My body and my heart have taken a toll after waking up in the middle of that tornado that caused such destruction in our city last week. My back and shoulders have been tight as can be, and my heart is heavy as I drive past the damage left in the wake of the storm.
I woke up during the same hour that the tornado hit one week afterwards with my heart pounding out of my chest and my whole body tensed up like it was ready to grab the kids and race downstairs to the basement. I realized that I had been holding all that sadness in as I helped my family and other dear family friends of ours begin to pick up the pieces of the storm.
I realized that I needed to let it all out. There’s a whole other wave of stress and fear in our midst now with the corona virus as well, and it’s a lot to process. So I had a good long cry this week. And as I cried, I put my hand on my heart and spoke this verse over and over myself. It’s ok to be sad and afraid, but even in those moments God offers us His peace. He is the safest place I’ve ever known, and I’m so grateful I can come to Him with my worn out and weary heart and body to find deep acceptance, deep love, and deep rest.
I’m sure that will be the first long cry of many that are to come in the aftermath of the tornado, but it will also be the first of many times I’ll breathe deep and apply the balm of God’s truth and peace to my heart.
