January 29, 2023
Charis
The Shell's Echo
A little girl ran along the beach. Seagulls swooped around her and squawked. People yelled to each other. Waves crashed onto the shore. Dogs barked. A breeze whistled and played with her loose hair. All around her seemed to be chaos.
She halted and wiggled her toes in the warm sand. Something caught her eye. She stooped and pulled a conch shell out of the sand. She held it to her ear. All the noise blended into a single echo, as if she was the only one by the ocean. This sound, like the waves, was peaceful, even beautiful.
Peace in Chaos
Do you ever feel surrounded by chaos? Maybe work or school demands more and more, and you're on the verge of burnout. Maybe the news brings anxiety. Maybe you have tons of kids running circles around you, asking for piggy back rides, and strangling you. Trust me, I know how it feels. I always joke I can only find quiet time at 5:30-6:30 AM!
When I was praying, this conch shell analogy came to mind. It reminded me of all the times God's brought peace when everything around me seems to fall apart. Oftentimes I'll talk with Him, and I'll go from tears to smiling, or at least feel collected. There's something about pressing into the Lord that makes the noise melt away, like putting a conch shell to the ear creates a tranquil sound.
the Bible talks a lot about this peace. I find John 14:27 especially comforting. At a time the disciples were about to endure tragedy, and later persecution and death, Jesus promised this:
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." (John 14:27, ESV)
God's willing to give you supernatural peace. Will you press into Him and receive it?