I was asked in a recent Bible study to “describe a time when you know you experienced the peace of God transcending you understanding” or more simply “when did God call you to peace in a challenging time?”
Many of you know the challenges that my daughter, Cori has faced and continues to. They are not as many as some and more than others. I have written about some of them here. When I consider the question about the peace of God, I am reminded of a time when she was very little, a time in which I was gifted with the peace of God that was beyond my understanding.
Cori was going through a season around 5 months of age when she required oxygen round the clock, she was receiving nutrition through her g-tube 20 hours a day, and when she was sleeping, her heart and breathing were being monitored by a device that would wake the neighborhood if her oxygen level dropped below 90. All of this made for a very challenging sleeping environment for this mama.
You know how important good sleep is in general but as moms, called to care for both healthy and sick littles, sleep is even more important. I wasn’t getting it and I had a decision to make. Was it good for me to continue to have Cori sleeping in the crib next to me or was it time to move her?
I worried—what would happen if Cori stopped breathing? What would I do if her feeding tube malfunctioned? How would it work to have her down the hall if alarms sounded? Would she be ok?
Honestly, I don’t remember if I turned these concerns into a prayer. I believe God hears the cares of our hearts and minds as St. Paul promises in Romans 8: 26 when he says—Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.
I remember with absolute clarity the moment I decided it was time to move Cori. I knew that she was not really mine. I was entrusted with her care. I was called to be her mama. I was challenged to do my very best to ensure her health and safety but ultimately, there was one more powerful than I who had claimed her. She was God’s child. Whatever happened to her, she was going to be ok because God had made a promise to her.
I felt absolute peace when I took apart her crib, packed up countless medical supplies and extension cords and moved her down the hall. I slept well. Did I worry, of course, I did, but I wasn’t afraid.
I share this story with you to remind and encourage you that God has made a promise to each of you and to your loved ones and neighbors. God is your God. You are God’s people. Each of us go through challenging seasons, not as many as some and more than others. I hope as the writer of 1 Thessalonians says—Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with all of you (3:16).
