Devotion for December 16, 2011 – Peace and Healing
Woolen Mill - Blarney Ireland - photo by Nelda Seger
Today's Scripture Reading
Psalm 23:1-3
The Lord Is My Shepherd
A Psalm of David.
23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
Today's Devotion
My trip to Ireland was a dream of a lifetime. As long as I can remember I had always wanted to go to Ireland for in my imagination it was a country filled to the brim with peace, tranquility and beauty. I decided to take this trip – going alone although on a tour – in the fall of 2007. I packed my bags and alternated between going and calling the travel agent to cancel my reservation up until the morning the plane was to depart.
Being a widow for three years, I felt that this trip was important to prove to myself that there would still be good times and I needed to know that I could still go places and have experiences by myself. I needed to prove to myself that my life was not over – in other words I needed to decide if I wanted to live or quietly waste away. I spent the years following Colin’s death praying to God at first to take me too and then to take the pain away and then progressing to praying for someone to fill the terrible void in my life and finally praying for the peace that only comes from our relationship with God. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”(Philippians 4:7, NRSV)
God answered my prayers although not by my timetable. I found in Ireland what I had been praying for. I found not only great beauty but I found the peace and the healing that I so desperately needed. From the gentle flow of a brook surrounded by trees I found the quiet space and could feel at peace and I found a renewed spirit.
We don’t need to go to Ireland or any far off place to receive the peace which only comes from God. All we need to do is open our hearts and minds and be still so that God can speak to us.
Compassionate God, thank you for giving us time and space so we can be still and hear your voice and feel your peace. Thank you for guiding us down the path of still waters so that we can take the right paths. Amen.
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