Peace Within Chaos

You will keep in perfect peace
     all who trust in you,
     all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Isaiah 26:3

When life does not feel peaceful, where do I choose to fix my thoughts?  When life feels like a hurricane, where have I attached my lifeline?  Who, or what, is on the other end?

When I fix my thoughts on Jesus, it is like a lifeline tethered in rough seas.  I fasten myself securely to Him and He keeps me safe in the storms of life.  My emotions swirl around me like wind and waves, they come and go, ever changing, clamoring for my full attention.  They are not the place to anchor my thoughts.

The storms will always come, they cannot be avoided.  So I work to be prepared before they arrive.  I build my connection with my Savior.  I read His Word, I learn to hear His voice and to obey His call.  I practice worship and praise so that it becomes second nature.

The best time to  attach my tether is when the weather is calm, when I can take the time to tie the right knot, get it positioned correctly, let Him show me how to use it.  

When the storm gets really rough, with my knot tied securely, I choose to point my face toward Him and put both hands on the rope.  It is up to me to make that choice.  It takes an intentional effort, strength and courage to keep my hands on that rope rather than giving in and following the latest wind current. 

As the winds calm at times, I may look around to survey the situation, but always keep one hand on the rope. I am not unaware of the conditions that surround me.  But I don’t let go of my anchor to go wandering around the wreckage.  He gives me enough rope to see what I need to see, to learn what I need to learn, without being lured off course.

I have tied that knot, and fixed my thoughts, on my anchorage, Jesus Christ.  Sometimes the storms are too fierce, too overwhelming, too much information to take in, and I need to fall to my knees and close my eyes.  But holding onto that line, I can hunker down and ride it out.  I am secure knowing where I am, and who I am holding onto.

Holding onto that rope gives me the confidence and security to know that I will not be swept away, even in the strongest gale force winds.  That is where I will find peace within the chaos.  

Lord, thank you for being a strong anchor for my lifeline.  Show me, in times of calm, how to secure my line and use it effectively.  Remind me, when the wind and waves start to swell, to hold tightly and fix my thoughts on you.  Thank you, Lord, for the peace that you bring, even in the midst of circumstances that seem out of control.  Increase my faith and trust to know that you will see me through to the other side of my storm.