How would you describe the feeling of peace?

The physical experience of peace for me is a deep inhale of fresh air, releasing it, and feeling tension dissipate. It’s the sound of birds chirping in the stillness of the morning. It’s the sound of firewood crackling in the stillness of the night.

In relation to people, peace is being with someone who disagrees with you about things, but feeling just as connected regardless of an opinion difference. It surpasses knowledge and understanding.

My visual description of feeling peaceful is sitting cross-legged on the ground of a busy location: maybe a fairground, festival, busy park, or city sidewalk. The world is moving around you in chaotic motions; they are a blur, but you are clear and in focus. The times I feel peace most strongly are times when peace is not the obvious response. It’s God’s assurance.

Today, peace is a peach.

Sometimes the physical fruit representation of a spiritual fruit is obvious to me, and sometimes I need to get creative. This month is neither of those, peace is being represented by a peach simply because the words only have a one letter difference… but stick with me as I try my best to find connections.

The outer skin of a peach is soft and gentle, perhaps fragile. It may not be as strong as other fruit skins, but it still serves to protect the inner fruit. Have you ever heard the phrase “protect your peace”? It is a common phrase used in an expression of setting boundaries and cutting ties with that which hurts us. I was thinking about it and there is a lot of important truth to that.  We should protect and nourish our peace by spending time in God’s word, in prayer, and using discernment about who and what we fill our time with. We are told to guard our hearts. But also, peace protects us. It shields us from the hardship of uncertainty. It bridges the discomfort of division. Peace guides us in our connections with others.

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9 

What does it mean to be a peacemaker? Is it passivity, quietness, and being agreeable? Must we sacrifice the Truth that we know in order to avoid conflict? No! A peacemaker is a maker of peace. That’s a pretty redundant sentence but when it’s said like that, we can recognize that it is an active role. It is creating peace where it didn’t already exist. It stems from knowing God and a desire for others to know Him too and richly experience His blessings.

Many people thought that when Jesus would come, He would be a powerful, political warrior but instead He had a message for all, no matter what label they carried in the world:

“He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.” Ephesians 2:17

Unlike peaches, peace does not have to be seasonal. Peace does not mean that life is perfect and there are no stressors. Peace does not mean agreeing with someone about everything. Peace does not have to be something that is achieved on vacations or long weekends. Peace is an internal feeling and motivator that can be carried with you anywhere you go. It is a deep and unshakable trust in the Lord. It is a reverence for Him.

Shalom.