Moving away from home, from my family, has taught me a lot of things. 

But one specific lesson has really impacted my life. 

I have heard others talk about God's power and His Peace in their lives. It always makes me happy to know that they are feeling the power of His Peace. I remember reading John 14:27 as a teenager... 

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

What stood out to me were these words: 

"MY" and "NOT AS THE WORLD GIVETH."

This told me that peace comes from God and no where else. This told me that He has something to offer that nothing and nobody in this world ever can. I believed it. I knew it. But each year of my life I am understanding it more fully.

Moving away from my family has really put this principle into practice. When hard times hit and people I love are hurting, I just want to run home. Well, fly home. I want to rush there and be by their side and make everything okay. But I can't. And because I can't, I turn to someone who can. (More fully than I did before.) I realize more than ever that God is the one that can offer peace. Not me. Not anything I have to offer. But Him. It is HIS peace that can calm their storms or give them the strength to get through it. It is HIS peace that can bless their lives and really make everything okay. The best I can do is pray that they will feel it and hope they feel it fast. So even though it hurts and I want so badly to help, I receive another little flame of testimony that God is over all. That He is the Father of us all. That He loves us all. And He is the one with Peace.

I have felt this peace over and over in my own life. One of my friends recently posted on her blog about this same type of peace. For her, it was a peace that came with pregnancy after experiencing a miscarriage with a pregnancy before. For me, it comes in not being able to get pregnant at times when I want to so badly. I have felt it when facing big decisions or challenges, physical pain or loss or fear. I have felt it most everyday of my life and know it is the greatest strength we will ever find.

 God's peace is nothing like anything in this world. Mortally, we can't find that kind of peace. God's is a peace that pushes through all pain and fear and confusion and understanding. It enriches our souls in a way this world can't. It is a peace that, regardless of what is going on around us or within us, gives us strength to just keep going.

It protects us. It strengthens us. It makes everything okay and even makes us happy in times we wouldn't think possible.

I'm grateful for a God who offers peace to ALL. 

I'm grateful He is there to help the ones I love.