Here Is Where a Peaceful Home Begins
My mother-in-law had her pacemaker replaced recently, and I accompanied her to her followup visit. She sat down in the chair, and the doctor stood at the counter with her hands over the computer keyboard.
“I’m going to slow down your heart a little bit, so you might feel a little lightheaded,” she said.
What was this? I’m going to slow down your heart?
The pacemaker is Bluetooth. I was astounded at this technology implanted in the chest and the fact that the doctor could manipulate the pace of my mother-in-law’s heart with one click on the keyboard. Even more incredible was the trust we were all placing in this device and the doctor manipulating it.
This gives new meaning to Paul’s words to the believers, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.” (Colossians 3:15) Can we make that medical? The Spirit of Christ is implanted in our chests when we call him Lord, and we need to let him set the pace of our hearts. How is that for an image of giving him complete control?
“My pacemaker fires 100% of the time,” Barb told me. All of the time, this external machine, with leads implanted directly into the heart, makes the decision for how fast her heart will pump. Without it, she would not still be with us.
I think of how many times my heart beats out of control with anxiety or anger or jealousy or misplaced desires. I can tell when my heart is racing, like last week at 2:30 a.m., when I woke up in a sweat and panic about the Thanksgiving meal. Would I get it all ready in time? Would it taste good? Would I ruin anything? I literally needed a pacemaker in that moment–something external from my own malfunctioning heart to bring it under control.
Can you imagine having a heart that beats at a steady pace of peace and never faster or slower than that? Can you imagine what this would do for your home?
A woman has every reason to have a heart out of control. Our responsibilities are endless at home. The needs of children are a constant demand. We are trying to be good wives. Trying to earn some income. These people need clean underwear. And we want to make everyone happy. Or our hearts are sluggish, as we feel discouraged or struggle to feel a sense of purpose or feel afraid in 10 different ways. Peace feels too good to be true. Isn’t it a woman’s heart to worry about all of the people and all of the things all of the time? Don’t they say that a mother can only be as happy as her least happy child? If Momma ain’t happy, nobody’s happy.
Peace? Are women allowed to experience peace?
The question is, will we trust Jesus enough to let him set the pace of peace in our hearts? And how could we possibly trust anything or anyone else for this?
Teach me this, Jesus, I’ve been praying on repeat. Teach me how to trust you so that I let your peace be the rhythm in my chest. Forgive me for the tens of thousands of times that I have let something other than your peace set the pace for my heart.
I am deeply touched that of all of the things Jesus wants to rule over our hearts, he chooses peace. It could have been tyranny or terror, but instead he lovingly gifts us this precious, undeserved, rare treasure. He is the Prince of Peace with nothing but good intentions toward us. Can we trust that this kind of benevolence is for real?
Whenever you feel unsettled, anxious, afraid, or insecure: permission to let the peace of Christ rule. Why, we could create a whole new definition of womanhood if we do this. We could transform our homes if we would willingly go under the knife for a pacemaker.
Love this!! Love being reminded God always, in all circumstances, wants us to live in His peace!
And that Barb for so many years has been such a great example for all of us! Please give her a hug for me!💞🍃
I will sure do that!
We have a Jack Russell terrier named Pete…Pete knows our
Christmas tree is “real,” so to prevent any unwanted marking of territories, we invest in a table top tree…it was a frasier fir and looked and smelled divine…problem was as soon as I placed the colored lights (at 45 I still don’t feel “sophisticated” enough for all white) we all started to experience itchy, watery eyes…are we seriously allergic to this tiny tree? Then I noticed tiny black bugs around it…yep, it had to go…so we ventured to Lowes’ to see other options and we grabbed Bruce the spruce…a dwarf variety…he’s only about 12” tall but supposedly not as allergenic…as I gazed at my wooden nativity set with tiny Bruce the spruce this morning, it hit me that it wasn’t the perfect set up for the Messiah to come…we tend our neighbor’s farm when they go on vacation and stables and feeding troughs are quite messy and extremely stinky…much like my heart many days…all the demands of the day…the bills to pay…the friends with a wayward child or an overwhelming medical diagnosis…it’s all messy…but He still came in all the mess…our Prince of Peace! And I was reminded, just as your healing and encouraging words remind me that even in the mess…even in the not so pretty…even in the stench….He is our peace…I don’t have to feel like the circus performer trying to keep all the plates spinning at once…I can rest in Him, even when everything around me says otherwise…12” tree or not, that sure gives this crazy gal a heaping portion of hope 🙃🙌. Hugs from NC! Ps…we hardly ever see substantial snow here…if by chance you could send us just one big snow our way, we’d be most grateful ❄️
This is a powerful picture of our mess and need for peace. Thank you for sharing! I’m very sorry you can’t have a big, lovely tree. I just used the snow rake to pull 8″ of snow off of our roof, so that we don’t get ice dams. I’ll package it up and send it to you today. 🙂
Thank you! 🤠
You just described to a tee how I’ve been feeling for the past several months and oh how I long for peace! Thanks for the encouragement. I will keep marching forward and praying as I go!
The wonderful thing about longing for peace is that it’s exactly what God wants to give us!
Thank you for these beautiful thoughts! My sisters and I all were blessed by this.
Anna
Hurray for sisters! I’m glad if you were encouraged by God’s precious word.
Such a good reminder! I needed this!
It’s not a new Scripture, but I feel like it needs to keep being massaged into my thinking.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. I have missed your posts!
As someone who has heart issues, this really spoke to me. I am longing for the peace that only God can provide.
I pray he will answer your prayer in a very special way.