I will be the first to admit … “school” wears me out. Did it always? I don’t think so. It can be heavy, even stressful. This week was so much about writing checks, getting binders, listening to first impressions, and signing my name that I understand many things (whew!) that I barely thought about things like shaving my legs or making dinner (not necessarily at the same time) or the bananas slowly rotting on our counter. I realize that this week my face had the look of someone who mixed too little sleep with too much caffeine (tho’ I drank little to no caffeine). But if school isn’t meant to be the death of my relationships or my identity, it must not be the death of my peace.
What anchors our peace when our schedule goes through a major shift or we experience challenges or traumas? During the 1st weeks of school most administrators run a fire drill/evacuation drill. I remember preparing my first graders for this trauma, telling them what it would be like and what would go on around them. Knowing what was coming did help calm their fears, but it didn’t totally still their hearts. Only one thing could do that.
I wanted them to know that the alarm would be louder than they could imagine, would come unexpectedly, would fill the halls with many children, would send us outside, and we would not know when it would end. They also needed to know that the alarm could be real. The one thing they had to know was where to look: KEEP YOUR EYES ON ME.
I will lead you to a safe and quiet place. I will count every head and call you by name. I will not leave you. I will watch over you and protect you with my very self. If your eyes stay on me, resisting the pressure, you have no need to be overwhelmed. I was promising them peace.
Jesus promises us peace. He promises ME peace, despite whatever may come. Last school year we experienced times of desperately needing the peace of Jesus. This really isn’t just a lesson about “School Rules,” but it’s a lesson about “Life Rules.”
Isaiah 26:3-4
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal. (NIV)
Another version says, “whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”(NKJV)
The best lessons are the simple ones, and I’m most likely to remember them. Do you have a fire alarm in your house? Each time you pass it, I hope the Holy Spirit reminds you of this: if we keep our minds on Christ each day and feed on His Word, if we look TO HIM instead of focusing on all of the commotion around us and around this thing called “school,” He will …. lead us to a safe and quiet place. He will count every head and call us by name. He will not leave us. He will watch over us and protect us with His very self. If our eyes stay on Him, resisting the pressure of life, we have no need to be overwhelmed. He was promising them peace. He can deliver it and deliver us in our relationships, our identity, and our peace.
Now it’s probably time to do something about those bananas ….
Much peace to you,
Julie
My husband and I truly need some peace regarding a situation. I only pray it comes soon so we can buckle down and proceed forth with certainty that our decision is what God wanted and not what we wanted.
thanks for this timely post.
I love this! I have felt the same way this week….whew! What a great analogy to the fire alarm. That is SO true. It helps me so much when I keep my eyes on Jesus during stressful times! When I don't that is when the worst of the anxiety sets in. Thanks for the visual reminder of the smoke alarm. I am going to remember that every time I walk by ours! Just what I needed today….by the way…Julie, it would mean so much to me if you would stop by my blog and share in the last week of our "Intentional Encourager" Challenge…I would love to hear about someone who has been a big encourager in your life. You have been a big one for me!! 🙂 If you can't participate I understand I would love your prayers for the ladies who do. I am going to be mentioning your blog in my Tuesday article of the series. You really do encourage me every time I visit!