And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ.
Philippians 4:7, New International Version
As we move more into union with God, as we develop a knowing of the mind of Christ, peace will gently roll through us and lead us to a place that is so sublime. It is not easily talked about because we do not have this peace in our lives when we let Screaming Mimi rule the roost.
Peace is defined in two ways: 1) Freedom from disturbance; quiet and tranquility. 2) A state or period in which there is no war or a war has ended. These definitions do not even come close to the peace that is spoken about here. Both of these definitions have something to do with an outer experience which leads you to be in a peaceful state. The peace I am talking about is a peace you experience within disturbance, within a battle.
One experience of this peace I would like to share with you was my father’s wake. I was very close to my father. He never said, “I love you,” to me but he did not have to. He would just walk into a room, and I would know how much I was loved. So, needless to say, this was a day that was not quiet and tranquil. Yet, at the funeral home, this peace I am talking about pervaded every cell of my being. That peace ran so deep I found myself counseling others who were having personal problems, and I was grateful to be able to be of service. Not once did I think, “Why are you sharing this with me now?”
This peace is available to us at every moment, no matter what we are going through or what we are doing. Isn’t that beautiful? God’s peace is always present, whether we feel it or not. All we need to do is know it is there calling us: Come.
Mother Charlotte, the first mystic that I studied under, at times, would start a class as follows: she would look to her right and say “Christ Charlotte welcomes Christ Theresa.” I would then follow to the person on my right and so on and so forth until it came back to Mother. I am just beginning to understand the importance of this welcoming. She wanted us to look past the body/mind and see each person for who they truly were: the Divine living for a temporary moment in a body. We are all tapped into, as some call it, Christ consciousness. We become aware of the person in front of us who might, at the moment, be acting out of their body pain, but if you look past what your eyes see, and your ears hear, Christ stands before you.
We have many ways that we can tap into this peace—meditation, rituals etc. They help us move away from the distractions of the world. In the end, it boils down to one thing: making the choice to express only Love in each moment. Where there is Love there is peace. A mother whose child is upset and screaming does not get impatient but sits quietly just sharing Love by being there for the little one.
As we develop an understanding of this peace, we know we would rather be happy than right. How much time is wasted trying to prove we are right, instead of just being ok with whatever is before us? It is what it is.
I hope you have a wonderful day. Ask yourself today, “How can I extend my Love today?” Maybe a name of a friend to call will come to mind. Or you can go to the grocery store and share a smile. It does not take much. A small action can mean a great deal to another. Thank you for spending time with me this day.
Theresa Contaxis 