Three Quick Ways to Find Peace When Chaos Rules the Day

He looked rumpled like an unmade bed, as if he had fought hard for his peace. But with his charming demeanor, this whimsical bear seemed to be begging me to grasp the secret he knew deep. Carved with such skill, my heart wanted to hug him though my mind knew his hard wooden body wouldn’t be cuddly at all.

God knew how to dish up the peace we need when he lit the skies with velvety colors aflame in a sunset. Or streaked the heavens with a watercolor saturated paintbrush at sunrise. Or cleansed the brown dormant earth with the pristine white of snow—before we humans make a mess as our cars pummel it into a ugly brown slush.

Kinda like what we do in life. He makes us pure—yet we tend to turn our lives into muck. Bad decisions, angry words, and unforgiving hearts…yada, yada…ugh.

Peace offers a freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, worry and obsession. And the serenity of nature is the fastest way to get me there.

Our souls are revived with the soothing relief found in the outdoors. Just sitting on my back step and breathing deep the sound of the birds and running water calms me. My breathing slows and my mind unclenches as my anxiety floats away on the morning breeze.

We’ve recited the 23rd Psalm since childhood but have you ever focused on the beginning phrases? It is a Psalm carved with comfort and it begins immersed in nature.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters, 

    he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

 Psalm 23:1-3

The bear lives immersed in nature. Like the Psalmist he walks untroubled in the verdant grasses. He drinks from the glassy waters of the mountain lake. He fishes for trout in the morning then naps in the shade of the evergreen trees and wakes refreshed by the mountain air. He walks the paths created by those before him, to the water, through the woods, back to the cave. He lives in harmony with his surroundings and basks in the sunshine on his back. 

He lacks for nothing.

He has everything he needs to exist at his fingertips. But instead of a meager existence in a colorless world, he lives among regal beauty. God didn’t have to surround him with crested buttes of glory and waters that sparkle like diamonds in the sunshine. Dirt to sleep on, rodents for food, and a muddy puddle would have sustained him. 

 But God didn’t want to barely sustain him.

And he didn’t want to just sustain us either.

He drenches us in a tranquil beauty untold. 

We lack for nothing.

I don’t know if the bear even has the capability to notice. But we do. Even trapped inside the walls of a grey city, the skies unveil a spectacular light show for our enjoyment.

In our hustle-bustle do we take the time to notice?

Do we push pause on our chaos to soak the serenity that nature brings?

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 

Colossians 3:15

So here are three quick ways to grab some peace:

1. Make an effort everyday this week to look for the beauty surrounding you, even if your only time is in the frantic dash to work, or sitting in the carpool line.
2. Breathe deep and let the peace God shares in nature soak into your soul, 
3. Say a prayer of thanks to our God who slathers beauty over this world with a generosity unmatched.

It is yours for the taking. So why wait?

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

 John 14:27