Peace in His Presence!

I guess You know better than anyone, Lord, the thoughts that I am mulling over today. Some of them are anxious and worrisome. Some are filled with thanksgiving and praise. And....Lord, what I would like is for them all to be combined into the "thanksgiving and praise" part. ( That part is so hard Lord....because You know how hard it is to be thankful for the "junk" of our lives.) The stuff that You realize never takes us to "our knees" unless You send it our way. You know my
heart and the inner angst I suffer today. The worries of the world are sort of off in the distance.
I asked my husband the other day as we saw people running for their lives on a news clip we were watching....." Do you think that will ever happen here....?" Lord, to live here in this little
corner of Your world is for right now a huge blessing. No worry of armed gunmen interrupting
our suppertime, with any qualms of being dragged out into the street and stoned or shot or
beheaded. These are events that are happening everyday in too many parts of the world and we
sit idly by, watching, oohing and aahing, and going to get ourselves a glass of iced tea and head out to
enjoy the evening breeze , basically thinking little or nothing more about it. I guess all of us do
that Lord. And, the reason is not because we're not concerned.....we're just too busy thinking
about what we have to do tomorrow and how we are going to accomplish it. I, for one, wish I
could see what You see....(only once in a while, Lord....) . I know I couldn't handle any more
than 30 seconds worth. The sadness You see has to be overwhelming. I hate to see the basics
of human behavior at the level of depravity that it seems to be. Lord, it is not what You meant
when You said ...."to love one another as we love ourselves....". Where in the world did it ever
say to ....." Do unto other's as THEY do to you......"? I am at a loss as to how to aright things.
Is it possible? Everyone it seems has their own "truth". I really do not know if this has changed
or if it has always been this way. In some ways....I think it has changed. People used to defer
to one another if they had any question about what "truth" is. Now, since so many have seem-
ingly found their voice, they have a definite way of expressing what their thinking "the truth"
is and have no qualms in telling anyone who will listen....what that might be.....(and usually have
no trouble telling you...."if you weren't so stubborn, you would see it my way"). Lord, all I care
about is this one thing. How I feel... and what I discern from Your Word and the conversations
we share.....is that I am pretty confident that I KNOW when You are displeased with my words. My attitudes. My actions. My expressions. I find myself miserable beyond belief in
my whole being. And.....my victory is only a prayer away. Since I am human and feel pain and
insults and abuse like a human, the only respite for me is to call on You to give me the peace I
have to have. No one can touch my heart like You do, Lord. No one can fill the gaping hole of
emptiness like You can. No one. And, Lord.....on this day.....I ask for You to do Your work. In
me. And.... in those I love and can do nothing for.
I ask Your favor in the lives of those who are desperate for Your touch today. And, for Your
ever-present peace in the midst of the storms that arise so unexpectedly....trying to stomp out
our light and make us non-existent. You are the Light of our world, Father. Don't let me ever
forget that when I am about to go under the waves that roll over me. I will forever be treading
the waters until You rescue me. In Your precious name I pray today and always. Amen.
In Your presence Lord.....that is where the peace lies. Without that presence....there is none.
Amen, again! And, still....here I still am trying to continue to make sense of all that happens
and can't.....I write all of this and close the book and I read....."My brethren, consider it all joy
when you encounter various trials....knowing this...that the trying (testing) of your faith
worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire,
wanting nothing".....James 1:2 (He does not allow problems to come your way to hurt you....
but to build you.) Hey, Lord.....thank you! I see I could go on and on. You have given me a
plethora of verses today and I am going to lean on them. Amen, for now.