PSALM 23:1-3
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
REFLECTION
My 8-year-old son, James, asked me recently, “Has there ever been a time when no one in the world was at war? When there was only peace?” I wanted to reassure him about goodness in the world, but after a year in our own country with so much cruelty and conflict, admittedly, it was difficult. We are immeasurably blessed that our home can be our personal refuge. While our children are wildly joyful, rarely does time together feel peaceful. In fact, it can be far from lying down in green pastures!
It is easy to conceptualize peace as existing outside ourselves — in an idyllic location or situation. And yet, God’s message is about restoring ourselves and our souls. Through God’s presence, the essence of peace will reveal itself within you in the midst of external chaos. My 5-year-old, Lucy, describes this peace as “quiet in your heart.”
Although “still water” was not the image in mind when James asked me about war and peace, Psalm 23 helped reframe my response. This season, may you find restorative “quiet in your heart” as not-so-calm life happens all around you.
WRITTEN BY
Jenny Allen