The Peace You Seek
“The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.” Luke 17:20-21 (NIV)
Often during my life, I spent time searching for things or answers that I already had. Examples would be purpose, alone time, contentment, etc. Today I can look back and see where my efforts were somewhat foolish. Yes, I know, (written sarcastically), hindsight is such a wonderful thing but it does keep me from repeating unsuccessful events from the past. Lucy H. Chambers (All God’s Creatures) tells us about a unique place where she found peace.
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There is something about the month of May that seems to make everyone crazy. Perhaps, no matter what our age or stage in life, it’s the transition from the school year to summer, the feeling that everything must be wrapped up before people begin taking off to cooler climates. This May seemed to be even more crowded with events and deadlines, and I found myself racing to finish projects. My husband kindly offered to take care of our rabbit hutch, something that I usually enjoy doing.
Even with the extra help, I felt so overwhelmed. One to-do list seemed to bleed into the next, and no matter how much I got done, I couldn’t relax. I kept fantasizing about summer vacations in the past—trips to the mountains when life was easy and time seemed to stop. Happiness is right around the corner, I promised myself. Once I get through all this, I’ll feel good.
Then my husband had to go out of town for work. At first, I panicked and thought I would never get anything done, but I headed out to the hutch. I started to speed through the checklist of chores—food, water, litter box, hay, greens, herbal forage, and a few little treats. As I worked, Lemon and Nimbus hopped around me, darting in and out of their tunnels. They stopped, sat up on their haunches, and groomed themselves, pulling first one ear down and then the others, extending their long legs and carefully cleaning them. Then they groomed each other behind the ears where they couldn’t reach themselves. When they were all done, they flopped down and curled up next to each other.
I stopped cleaning and just sat there and watched them. They exuded peace. I realized they were the very thing that I had been lacking. Giving up the responsibility of their care had not lightened my load; it had denied me the opportunity to observe these wonderful creatures. I didn’t need to go to the mountains to relax in nature. I just needed to take a deep breath and give my full attention to the bunnies. The peace of God is all around me all the time. Sometimes I just need to stop chasing it to be able to feel it.