John 14:27 – Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (NKJV)
What comforting words those are, especially in these troubled times. About four years ago, my dear husband suffered a major stroke while he was driving. He was not able to move the entire right side of his body, and he had to be airlifted from our hospital to a neurotrauma centre two hours’ driving time away. From the phone call from the hospital to the time I walked out the door of the emergency room, everything went very fast. The doctor kept telling me how important every second was for my husband, so as the emergency medical technicians carted him out the door on the stretcher, I realized, “There goes my life!” — my husband and I had been married 41 years at that time. I didn’t think that I could walk out the doors of the hospital, but I knew that I had to go. I couldn’t ride in the helicopter with my husband, and I knew that I had at least two hours of driving time ahead.
With the urgency that the doctor had explained, I had no idea what would happen to my dear husband. God gave me the strength to walk through the doors, as our son helped me to the helipad to watch as they took my husband. As I looked up to the sky, I saw the helicopter lifting up into the beautiful blue sky with a gorgeous white cloud just above the helicopter. It was at that time when I felt the “peace that passes all understanding” come over me.
Philippians 4:7 – And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (RSV)
I did not know if my husband would live or die, but I knew that either way, we would be okay. That precious peace got me through the next several weeks of watching God work through and in my husband. All I could do was sit back and watch God work. I felt totally helpless in myself, but I knew that God was in control, and we experienced His wonderful peace and got to watch Him at work. Again, I repeat that all I could do was sit back and watch God work.
While at the hospital, God worked through my husband to touch the doctors, nurses, and even patients. Even I had the opportunity to minister to a dear woman, and as I prayed with her, God showed His peace and wondrous works again! All praise and honour and glory belong to Him Who sits on the throne.
When we trust that God is in control, it relieves us of the need to worry and the feeling that we are responsible. It is then that God can give us His gift of the peace that passes all understanding.
Prayer: Precious heavenly Father, we thank You for the blessed peace at troubled times that comes only from You. Thank You for always being there and always hearing our prayers! We love You! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Princeton, West Virginia, USA