Monday, July 16, 2007

Monday Moment: Peace- Given and Left

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you.
I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled
and do not be afraid.
-John 14:27



Peace. It's a bone-filling, soul-soothing, breath-within-me-that-wasn't-mine sort of a feeling. Peace. It's real. Let me tell you how I know:

It was back in April. Months ago, I know, but I suppose I'm just now getting around to making sense of it. It was a particularly difficult week. It was a time of grief. A time of searching. It was one of those times you recognize - even in the midst of it - as a turning point. Either you'd be okay or you wouldn't. Either you would beat it or it would beat you. Perhaps you've been there? I was. This was one of those times.

I'd hung laundry on the clothesline. An entire load. I'd shuffled about, pinning and praying.

Lord, I need... I need...

When I couldn't even finish my prayer, I tearfully shrugged at the sky.

I can't... God, I don't even know....

Sobs ripped through me but wouldn't come out. I wasn't making a bit of sense. Frustrated - hopelessly exasperated by my inability to string together words for the most basic of prayers - I flung a clothespin to the ground and cried out.

Flutterflutterflutter

I froze. I froze and stared. I stared because there, just beyond my feet, sat a white dove. A perfect white dove. A dove at my clothesline.


My breath left me, but the moment it did, something else was there. It was warm ... like chicken broth going down. Only this started within. It was... full... as though I had breath without inhaling... as though I had somehow breathed underwater. It was electric... like a fuse blowing and sparking, yet at the same time it was calming... like watching a sunset while wrapped in a quilt. It was amazing and it washed inside and over me like a wave.

I cried. The dove listened.

And it stayed. Even when I went in to get my camera, it stayed. It stayed as I cried and prayed and questioned. It stayed as I took its picture and got close. And as the sun began to set, it flew to the fence and perched there as I said goodbye.


The next morning, I hurried out. It was still there. So, too, was that feeling. I ran and got my neighbor. "Do you see that?" I cried.

"Yes," she said, slowly. "What's a dove doing here?"

It was gone by lunch. The warm, electric, breath-that's-not-my-own feeling stayed.

Neighbors, upon hearing that Freeman House was visited by a white dove, reasoned that it must have been part of the wedding the previous afternoon at the Methodist church. It had obviously gotten lost and had to land somewhere on its journey out of town.

I don't know. To this day the entire experience is more than I make complete sense of. All I can say for certain is that day, this child of God needed Him. Needed to see and talk to her Creator. And there, when she least expected it and most required it, was a dove. A dove, and the most inexplicable, awe-inspiring aura I've ever felt. Peace. Peace....

It was peace - given and left. It is there, and it's ours for the taking. Peace. Real peace. Just as He promised. Just exactly as He promised.

Monday Moment is a devotional to help kick-start your week. See you again next Monday!

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh Brin..shivers ran through me as I read your devotional..isn't that something! At that desperate time when you needed Him...He met you there,that is so awesome. God is so very good!
Thanks for sharing that Brin..I wait in anticipation for your daily posts, you are truly a blessing to me!

Carolyne said...

So often God comes to us in the everyday.....through nature, or one of His creations to Bless us with His Presence. You are one of the most blessed because you have eyes to see Him and the quietness to hear what He says.....
Thank you for helping all of us who read these Monday treasures to see Him around us today.

Susan said...

What an awesome, mighty God we serve!!!!
Susan

Kathleen Grace said...

Praise God! What a wonderful witness to the power and especially the love, of our Heavenly Father!

Unknown said...

Brin, what a powerful post today, I loved it! I too believe God comes to us in ways we may never understand or see, but he's always there! You are a true blessing indeed!! You need a answer on your poll for all of the above, I do feel like I know you but your blog is my favorite and I read it for everything!

BellaColle said...

Oh I believe He sent you His peace! Most definatly! I am so glad to see someone else has experianced the "Peace" He promises us! others always point out it is just this or that... His promises are true and that is enough for me! Thank you again!

Anonymous said...

Hi Brin,
I have been told, and believe it to be true, that these types of moments or visits are God's "calling cards" to us. I've experienced them too and they are wonderful.

Anonymous said...

Hello Brin!
Your entry today touched me so that I feel compelled to write. I have been reading your blog since I stumbled upon it by chance on Monday, April 30.
It's been in my bookmarks ever since and I look forward to reading it daily. After reading the Dove entry I now know it wasn't chance that brought us together, the Lord knew I needed you for inspiration. Thank you for being there for me today. Yours in Christ, Cynthia

Anonymous said...

Brin,
Because I know you, I know that you are constantly focused on all things pure, lovely, virtuous, true....and God promises his peace because of this (Philippians 4).
Thank you for sharing this lovely experience.

Lallee said...

Jesus loves you this I know. What more can be said when God shows he is there in such a magnificent way? Thank you for sharing this and the pictures.

a woman who is said...

Beautiful post, lovely pictures!

A frame around the silence
A kind of silence in which God speaks to the heart
It made time stand still

Michael Card

Jan Reed said...

You are a treasure, Brin... God's treasure and mine! He cares about you so much. He sent a dove, the symbol of his Holy Spirit, the comforter, at a time when you needed comfort. Wow.. that's how much He loves YOU!!!

Jenny's Heart said...

Brin,
I have felt that same seeling, like warm honey flowing through you and all tingly at the same time, I fell to my knees the breath wooshed from my lungs and as I gasped I cried and praised God! It happened to me as I was praying for someone else and God healed me. Being filled by the Holy Spirit, touched by God and Blessed by Jesus..takes your breath away~ I forget about that day sometimes, thank you for reminding me.