As I write this i’m going through a morning filled with internal Turmoil. Even my refreshing cup of coffee isn’t helping to calm my spirit. I’ve watched Video after Video of Green Renaissance, this fantastic Youtube channel of people living off the grid, and that’s doing a little something to unburden my heart.

What’s wrong, you might ask? Well, nothing really. I’m serious. No one is Sick. I’m not at risk of losing anything. I’m not in any Danger. I’ve not made some grievous mistake. Nothing. So what’s up then Alex? You might ask further. Well, I don’t know. You might then sigh in derision and walk away, thinking to yourself, this ungrateful bastard.

Gratitude.

Now let’s stay there for a while. That Word, Gratitude. I call it the other side of the Coin, where the flip side is Peace. Those two words go hand in hand. Why would a successful Actor Comedian commit suicide? Why would a respected World Leader sexually harass a Hotel maid? And why would Many, Many successful people leave it all to go off the grid like the Green Renaissance people? What are they all seeking? Oh wait, Peace.

Yesterday a friend referred me to this Bible Verse; John 14:27 “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”

She went further and shared a discovery from this Verse. That our lord and saviour Jesus Christ gave us Peace as his last gift before he went back to his Father. It was a universal, unfiltered, unencumbered Peace. Which means we all have it within us. He goes ahead to say let your heart not be troubled, nor be afraid. An unconditional instruction, because elsewhere in the new testament, Jesus tells his disciples that in this World you will have trouble. The ever present dichotomy of God, when he says his ways are not our ways, and for the very same reason the Peace he gives is not as the world gives. His is the kind of Peace that you can carry with you through ALL of life’s troubles.

Peace.

Now forget the external, visible trouble for a second. Adulting has taught me that an even bigger threat to Peace is internal trouble. The unrealistic expectations we set for ourselves. The pursuit of Achievement for Achievement’s sake. Someone once asked, “Is there more to life than just setting goals and achieving them?”. And worst of all, the Stories we tell ourselves about external stuff; When that person gets promoted and you don’t. When your loved one does something that hurts you. When your boss berates you for an honest mistake. The Stories we tell ourselves rob us of the Peace that was freely given to us by Christ. The unconditional Peace.

So this morning I ask myself, what is my Ceiling of Peace? That ceiling that protects my God given Peace from any internal or external triggers. How do I protect that Ceiling? That though there is fire and chaos all around me, I can still sleep deeply, enjoy a Cup of Coffee, take a walk, check on a friend, teach my daughters Chess…because the author of Peace has commanded that I walk this earth untroubled and fearless.

PS/Did you know that the words ‘Do not Fear’ are mentioned 365 times in the Bible? A command for every single day of the year maybe?