Quiet Place

Galatians 6:
7Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

One thing I learned from my mom is to not repair evil with evil. And as I plod through life without her, I’m ever more mindful of the example she set before me. She wasn’t a lecturer but rather someone who quietly did her thing. I can think of many a moments where she was justified to react in anger. But she didn’t. Her silence was killer enough.

Romans 12:20
On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

She didn’t have enemies. But she certainly had folks who just couldn’t quite understand why she stood on the words of an unseen God and not doctors and nurses. A woman of extreme faith who didn’t lean to the left nor the right and who despite her physical condition continued to place others before herself.

When I get caught up in my feelings and funky attitude, I look no further than her memory to quiet that inner maelstrom. When people disappoint, when hormones don’t cooperate, when sadness envelops me–my mind goes directly to her and I’m instantly calmed. Cause if she could go through and endure, who am I to let minor skirmishes slow me down.

We all have that boiling point in life that seeks to set us off. What brings you back to your center? Who reminds you (be they here or not) that it really isn’t that serious. Mamman is now that person for me. I go to that quiet place in my heart where she now resides and cull the secrets of a “peace that passes all understanding to guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.”