Peace Within Me

I wrote the poem below when I was in a very dark and stressful place. There was trouble on my the job, trouble in my marriage and trouble with my family. It was truly overwhelming! I tried taking a vacation, but even that didn’t help. After crying out to God, He let me know that we focus too hard at our circumstances trying to get them to change so we can have peace. But, we all know that adverse situations do not always go away over night. He revealed to me know that we should instead ask Him for peace on the inside when life is hard. After understanding that, I put my focus on Him instead of my problems. He provided that peace because I knew He was bigger than any problem that came my way. He didn’t just provide the peace. He provided the answer!

I felt I couldn’t get a grip or handle on my life. The harder I worked, the more I received strife.

I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. So, I looked for outside help. I was sure my strategies would work or so at the time I felt.

At times, I felt I would explode if I didn’t find the answer real soon. Then the pressure would lighten and my petals started to bloom.

Before I knew it, trouble started again. I could see my enemy was great. So, I took a break from all the headache in an attempt to improve my state.

God saw my fate and in a quiet place, He sent comfort to me from His throne and opened my eyes to let me see the place I was looking was wrong.

Trouble and pain are a part of life. We can never be without them. What’s going on outside doesn’t have to go on inside. We must learn to distinguish between them.

I exhausted myself by trying to calm the storm that was around me. And my mind needed rest from the turmoil and stress that had caused me not be free.

What a Revelation! My mistake was to ask God to fix things I see. But my prayer should have been place your Peace Within Me!

Copyright Jacquelyn Lott “All Rights Reserved”