Finding Hope...In God's Peace

Third Week of Advent

“And He will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

by Del Brown on December 12, 2022

Navigating my awkward, oversized cart through the Saturday Christmas shoppers in Costco, the little impulse buyer inside me took over. I made a list of things to buy before leaving home, but didn’t bother to look at it once the shopping started. I didn’t want anything to take me out of my “happy place.” Besides, it’s been three years since our loss, and as hard as it is, I have to continue moving forward. Buying a new Christmas tree, new decorations, and lots of other stuff had to be the perfect solution. Right?

Filling my cart with bell-shaped string lights, “Joy”-embroidered throw pillows, reindeer dish towels, and peppermint infused candles, I felt a sense of accomplishment when I got in yet another long checkout line. The shopping spree I started three hours ago, in and out of just as many stores, was finally ending. As I stood in the line looking down at my cart, that feeling of accomplishment quickly dissipated, and a rush of anxiety gripped me. Impatiently waiting to swipe my credit card for the fourth time that day, something inside me began to unravel. Somehow I managed to hold it together as the cashier thanked me for my purchases and wished me a happy holiday.

After putting my new items in the car, I sat in the driver’s seat unable to move. Another shopping spree that offered little more than momentary relief. The guilt trip was interrupted when my cell phone started vibrating. A series of messages from the credit card company displayed the various charges I made that day, adding to the weight of my circumstances. I had been in this place before, and it always ended with me in tears by the time I got home. The tears came quicker this time but didn’t last as long. Sitting in solitude, I reminded myself that my comfort and peace will never be found in stuff. Jesus confirmed this for all of us when He said, “I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27). The gift of peace is ours, an eternal present from the One who is the “source of peace” (Micah 5:5). This gift can never be taken from us, and there’s also no substitute for it.

I found the courage to go back into Costco, and the other stores that day, returning most of my impulse buys. In doing so, I realized I had taken the weight of emptiness, pain, and uncertainty off my shoulders and given it all to Jesus - the Prince of Peace. I know that I cannot change my circumstances, but I am so thankful for a God who loves me enough to wrap my grief in a blanket of joy, wipe my tears with a handkerchief of faith, and allow me to rest my head on a pillow of peace.

Further Reflection: “Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of Christ” (Sheila Walsh). What are you using to substitute for the gift of peace Jesus has already given you?

Additional Reading: John 14:27