Reminders of Peace: 4 Ways to Find Yours

Reminders of Peace are those little things that shift your focus from the problems to hope. With a seed of hope, everything is possible. But in this world of constant chaos, it can be tough to uncover the small seed of hope needed to walk out peace.

Living in Constant Chaos

Many years ago, I had my office space set up in the center of the house. It was next to the washer and dryer which was in the kitchen because the landline to our dialup came up in that spot. I set up my desk so I could look out at the kitchen and so that in a pinch my desk could serve as an additional serving spot.

It helped to have a long wall behind me where we had a large bar I used as additional office space. It wasn’t the ideal situation for most creatives, but I made it work – despite being in the middle of the chaos of a house filled with boys.

From my location, I could hear the boys in their room, see them in the living room, and monitor the kitchen. In other words, I could see and hear EVERYTHING!

My husband was home during a work break and I was going about our normal routine. We had school and snacks, and then I settled in for some work. At some point, my husband walked in and stood at my desk staring down at me in annoyance.

I don’t know when exactly he showed up because I was focused on word flow. Being a mother of boys, I knew that if I didn’t get it done while I had them occupied elsewhere then it wouldn’t get done (unless I stayed up until dawn which was never my favorite path but one I took on more than one occasion).

Finally, he huffed just to be sure he had my attention. I obliged his huff with a glance up from my computer. “What?” I asked.

“How can you sit there?”

I had to think about the question. After all, my “office” had been in the same location for months. Why was now the time to discuss its placement? Besides, I’d looked everywhere else in our 1300 ft 2 bedroom house for space. This was it.

“What?” I needed more clarity.

He didn’t say a word because at that moment my middle son came bolting around the corner dragging a plastic spider on a string. His older brother was close behind with a fly swatter, batting at the floor and just missing the spider but yelling “swat the spider” with each swing.

I smiled. “What.” I knew what had concerned my husband, but it was the constant chaos of my day. I barely noticed anymore. Moms of boys understand if there is noise and chaos then all is well. It’s when things get quiet that we get concerned.

My husband huffed again and walked to the front door. Apparently, his place of peace was not in the middle of my constant chaos.

4 Reminders of Peace

It’s not just that I’m more chilled than my husband (because I am) but that I’ve found multiple ways to find peace even in the constant chaos. I start my morning by writing down a gratitude (it doesn’t have to be anything big, just something unique to my moment and day). I look for little things to be thankful for during the day – and I’ll say thank you out loud when I encounter those moments. 

The more we invest in gratitude, the more abundant will be the reminders of peace around us.

There Is More Than Right Here

There’s some truth to the “forest for the trees” when it comes to the constant chaos around us. When things aren’t going the way it’s expected to go or the way we want it to go, we focus on what is right in front of us.

And yet, there is so much more than what is right in front of us. Dare to look past the trees.

There Is More Than Right Now

For most of my married life, when we were hosting a gathering, I would make out a to-do list that included everything I wanted . . . EVER. The list would include paving the driveway and putting up a fence and other such ideas. 

My husband would be overwhelmed. It’s only been in recent years that I realized it was my list that was ruining his experience. He wanted to complete the to-do list RIGHT NOW. I made a to-do list that included ONE DAY.

There is so much more time than this one moment. Do what you can do now, but be okay with the ONE DAY.

There Is More Than Can Be Seen

My husband and son took me hiking the other day. They were on a mission, planning for an upcoming Eagle project. I was on a hike, taking pictures of random things I spotted along the way. We made the turn to go back to the car, and you would have thought that the woods were on fire with the speed with which my family took to the trail.

I stopped to take a picture of a flower and my husband and son left me far behind. Instead of rushing to catch up, I wandered along trying to “see what I could see.” A rustle in the woods caught my attention and I stopped to watch. Several deer looked down from the rocks and I watched until they headed on their way.

When I caught back up to my family, my husband asked what I’d been doing. “Oh, just watching the deer watch me,” I told him.

“Is that what that rustling was?” My son asked.

I saw more than they saw because I was trying to see. When you are caught in the constant chaos moments, you have to be willing to see more than can be seen.

There Is More Than A Feeling

After we were hit by a tornado, my husband and I agreed not to make any decisions based in fear. That one decision that shifted from feelings to purposeful and intentional choices changed our lives.

When feelings are in charge, we react usually without thorough thought. When we push beyond feelings, we are positioned to stop, look, listen, and then choose. Hold tight to peace one little choice at a time.

Engaging With the Reminders of Peace

The world is full of crazy – crazy situations, crazy moments, crazy stuff! Even if you manage to hide away, somehow the chaos finds you. The only way to have balance in the crazy and chaotic, you have to settle into a peace that comes from remembering to see more, look beyond, and move past.

You can live content and settled even in the storms and chaos. Find ways to see the peace and then engage those reminders of peace to stand strong.

Looking for more Reminders of Peace?

The Book of Proverbs offers more than just interesting sayings. It holds the keys to a life of peace and joy. Practical Proverbs uses those keys to help you build your joy-filled life.