If you know me at all, you will know that toddlers are my favorite people. I would choose a toddler over an adult any day. Toddlers teach me lessons and provoke thoughts I may have missed if I were not in their company. And 3YO Eliza teaches me plenty …
In spending time at our house each week, she loves to go play in our bedroom at night. With a small flashlight, we make our way to our bed, she turns on her flashlight, and we make shadows on the ceiling. We raise our legs and shake them around, form animals, and with our shadows – we make up stories.
The other night, after much laughter, she asked me if various other shadows on the wall were scary. I explained they were not as they were the lamp, the furniture or something else in the room.
She quietly began to sing:
“When you get scared that you want to roar …
Take a deep breath and count to four …
1, 2, 3, 4.”(from the PBS program, Daniel Tiger)
Sure she changed the word “mad”, from the original song, to scared. However, it still made perfect sense. I soon realized she truly was not scared but wanting to play act and sing her song.
The day had been an overwhelming one to me as I watched world events unfold. As believers we are called to grieve for those experiencing suffering, loss, injustice, and death.
The sad estate of our world had me down on my knees and praying, more like begging if I am honest, for the Lord to be merciful. We so need Jesus as He is our only answer.
For years, I have had a calendar with throw away pages – I get a new one each year as a Christmas gift. Each page has a photo and a Scripture. I can’t even explain what these calendars have meant to me, each and every year. They always speak just what I need. My Bibles are filled with various pages from different years, each one delivering a message to my heart exactly when it was needed.
In the midst of my tears for our world, as I was washing dishes, I read the verse –
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
And the tears flowed again with the realization of how deeply we need to hold onto the Lord in these days we are living. He has overcome. In Him alone, we will find our peace. Yes, even in the midst of the chaos.
Jesus told His disciples then, and us now, we will have tribulation in this world. Days of unparalleled sadness, grief, or loss. Each generation would (and will) experience these days, for the enemy of our souls is always at work here on earth.
But we also have this hope …
The hope of peace, because Jesus is with us always. We can experience peace even when surrounded by evil in this world.
His peace filling our inner being will remain tranquil in the midst of upheaval and uncertainties. This peace will be brought about in our lives by the working of the Holy Spirit. By God’s mercy and grace, He reminds us to grab hold of His promise and remember that He has overcome this world.
Eliza and Daniel Tiger brought a powerful lesson this week …
“When you get scared that you want to roar …
Take a deep breath and count to four …
1, 2, 3, 4.”
Yes, take a deep breath, count to four, and remember His great and precious promises to us.
We are in the world – but we are in Christ.
We will have tribulation in this world – but we will overcome through Christ.
We often receive the encouragement to tell our stories, and surely, we all have stories which should be shared. In her post, A Time to Be Quiet, Leslie Crawford brings wisdom in reminding us to recognize that not every story is ours to tell. Read her post in full HERE.
Come, sit a spell. Bring your coffee, your posts, and your thoughts. If you link up, kindly visit those who have drawn up a seat around you.
(Photo of my calendar)
Today I am joining …
What a sweet moment with Eliza. There is so much that’s unsettling in the world today–but in Him we have peace.
She is with me four days a week and “shadows” is our nightly ritual 🙂 Her imagination is precious as we have made up such fun stories. Amazing to learn from a toddler 🙂
In Christ, even IN tribulation.
It’s been a privilege to pray with you this week.
Thank you, I felt the same way.
Joanne, I loved hearing about this treasured time with Eliza. What great insights, and Wow! Thank you for this powerful lesson today. Blessings.
~Selah ~
Love this! He so calls us to peace in the chaos, and there will always be chaos in this world! This is a great reminder that He calls us to inner peace because it is there that Christ within us is heard and then spills out bringing His peace and love into the world.
Lynn, thank you for sharing. It is only as we have inner peace in Christ that we can exude peace on the outside.
Joanne, such a sweet story about your time with Eliza, I love that song and it is so perfect! I love your lesson too about peace in Christ. I have to remind myself often to keep my eyes on Him, for only in Him will we find peace in the midst of such troubling times.
We must constantly pull our focus and eyes back onto Him, Donna. The events around us will quickly bring anxiety otherwise. May we keep reminding one another.
The simple wisdom of that sweet little song…
Isn’t it amazing how the Lord can teach us in the midst of child’s play!
Joanne, before I read the above I was watching a short video of the plea for prayer for the underground church in Afghanistan.
Where our brothers & sisters are being systematically slaughtered as I write this. Martyred for their belief in Christ. Men, women, children including toddlers & babies.
We indeed need to keep them in prayer & not be afraid of the enemy but stand with them in united powerful prayer.
Our God is a powerful God!
Bless you,
Jennifer
Amen. May we keep them, and others, in prayer.
Our inner peace from God can never be removed, and a comfort in these days of upheavel everywhere. Nice reminder to read today in your blog.
Wonderful post Ms. Joanne. And yes, the “littles” can teach us a great many things. I’ve recently started working with our AWANA group at our church. The exhilaration I felt as I helped two young ladies memorize, and more importantly, understand Ephesians 2:8-9 left me walking on air. I love that you are pouring into those in your life also. And yes, with all that’s going on in this world, we must remind ourselves constantly that we are merely sojourners, on our way home. God’s blessings ma’am.
Those littles will one day grow up and will need the truths poured into their lives. Thank you for stopping here and sharing. Blessings!
Joanne, I like how you said, “We can experience peace even when surrounded by evil in this world.” That’s so comforting. We realize hope and peace have a name, Jesus!
Amen!
Joanne, I’m so glad you are able to spend time with sweet Eliza during these days especially. I know every generation has faced its share of calamity and pain, but it does seem as if the chaos is hitting on so many more fronts right now. But you’re right … we can take heart because He is with us and He has overcome the world. Thank you for this comforting reminder, my friend.
Lois, I so agree with you. While every generation has faced its share of troubles, there is something different about these days we are living. You hit it on the head – the troubles are hitting on various fronts at the same time, like everything is unstable, and that is the difference. I’m glad we can take comfort and find strength in God and encourage one another. Thank you for sharing with me!
Joanne, your reminder about being IN Christ made me think of that passage in Colossians 3:2- 4 that says we are hidden in Christ. No better place to be. That passage also tells us to keep our minds set on things above. Not that we don’t grieve and pray for the losses here on earth; but we dwell on the richness and beauty of His grace.