Looking for Peace in Your Life?

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When we were a (relatively) young married couple (without a lot of liquid assets) it seems that for a few years in a row, every Christmas was accompanied by a $1,000 car repair bill.  It was frustrating, to say the least, but eventually, I came to accept that if you have a car, you are either going to have repair bills or a car payment, so I gradually learned not to sweat about either.  (On a side note, my mom used to say, jokingly, "You either have kids or money, but not both" ha ha)

I had a boss, years ago, who was a Chapter 13 Trustee lawyer (William W. Wumkes) who did not own a car.  He walked everywhere, took a taxi or enlisted a friend.  Now there was a man who didn't worry about car repairs or monthly payments!

I thought of my early days of fussing over this stuff and where I am today, and I realized that I have learned a lot about acceptance.  Once I realized that I could do absolutely nothing in terms of avoiding car repairs, I just accepted it. It really helped, and since we typically drove our cars for 10 years, I got lots of practice!

Turns out the acceptance I learned about car repairs can easily applied to many other situations in life.

Jesus always ran around talking about peace. Following suit, even today at Mass we offer each other a sign of peace.

I like to think of the word "peace" not simply as the absence of war, but as "shalom" a more all-encompassing word, described, biblically, as:  

". . . an inward sense of completeness or wholeness. Although it can also describe the absence of war, a majority of biblical references refer to an inner completeness and tranquility."  (https://firmisrael.org/learn/the-meaning-of-shalom/)

If you do not have tranquility in your life, or that sense of wholeness, you might want to start by working on acceptance.  But be careful not to equate acceptance with apathy.  Acceptance isn't a "shrug- of-the-shoulder, oh well" response to life.  Not at all.

Acceptance is a deep understanding that only true, enduring peace comes from our friendship with Jesus, and whatever that might bring.  With him, our whole being, the span of our life can be filled with peace, even if our existence involves pain and suffering, grief and loss.

Whatever you might be going through today, allow Jesus into it.  Let him give you his peace, and know that he can transform your struggles by it.

Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.com
Follow me on Facebook at:  https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/

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