Peace.

Lima, Peru.

Lima Peru // May 2010

A trip that changed my life.

Colossians 3:15 Let the peace of God rule in your hearts. This is the verse that spoke to me on this trip that forever changed my life.

Have you ever had that one thing you did in life when looking back on it you think… WHAT WAS I THINKING? I think we all do. And when looking back on it, we most likely were not thinking much. We most likely made a choice based on emotions and “got caught up in the moment.” I found myself in Lima, Peru thinking that exact thing. What was I thinking and what do I do now?

I always love to travel because I love getting myself away from constant internet, friends, my phone & iPad, Netflix, etc… even if just for several days. It is a way to just get reconnected with God and His presence and find time to just dig into His word. I end up having more time on my hands without other distractions. Usually the times I travel are where I have most of my life defining moments with God. It is a time when He speaks to me direction for my life and ministries I am involved in. Then I come back to Michigan feeling refreshed and on fire again.

I remember someone giving me a tiny journal to keep my thoughts and it was perfect for traveling. So I would, each day, spend time with the Lord and write down the thoughts and things going through my head in that time I spent with Him. This particular trip I left Michigan feeling confused and heavy. Not only was I just starting my Masters Degree the same day I landed in Peru, but also I had several other important decisions that had to be made when I returned from Peru. I was feeling down, to say the least. Every day I was praying and writing in this journal trying to figure out what to do. I am usually a pretty upbeat and happy person but this trip was different. Even one of the Pastors traveling with us could tell something was wrong. I opened up a little bit to him about the situation but still felt conflicted in my heart. After 5 days of praying about what I should do I still didn’t know. The last day I was talking to another person who went on the trip about what was going on and I wanted his advice. He told me it was a choice that I myself had to make but he said… “Let the peace of God rule in your heart.” That was the verse that changed my life. I made the choice I knew inside I was supposed to make. And the only way I could have made that choice was by letting God’s peace rule in my heart.

See, many of us go through tough situations in life, things that we don’t understand, and hard choices that we have to make. But we have to decide one thing… will we let God’s peace guide us? Will we get caught up in the emotions of things and feel down and heavy? Or will we seek His face and search for an unspeakable peace and rest for our situation?

God has a peace He wants to give you. Search for it and let it rule in your heart.