Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled…

The small church, First Christian Church in Clinton, Oklahoma, was alive with harmonious tones that Wednesday night. The choir, directed by Edna Gibson, poured the sonorous tones into the room. It seemed that the wooden pews reverberated with the sound.

I sat on ‘our bench’, as usual, with my two brothers, the shorter bench on the front row, and watched the choir. We learned to watch non-verbal cues to curb any misbehavior from both parents on stage.

My Mother played the piano for the choir and my Dad was in the tenor section. The sopranos lifted their voices, but the alto singer caught my attention. She began singing the solo in velvety deep tones. Even after over 70 years I remember the melody and her voice.

Somehow her appearance and her sound came together in the words…”Not as the world giveth, give I unto you….” Mrs. Doran was a short woman, I watched as she took another breath and the vibrations shook me to my soul. Her shape reminded me of my parents’ bed just after Mom made the bed, with the bedspread tucked carefully around and under the pillows.

I associated the peace of sleep cuddled by a soft bed with the words of the song. I don’t remember when I realized the words came from the Bible, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” John 14. Or when I realized what peace means. Through the years peace has come in various ways – and associated with glimpses of pure joy and belonging in my heart. Watching my children sleep, welcoming grandchildren, taking joy in a sunset, seeing a flower grow and bloom, even as we all grow and bloom for our Lord and Master. Seeing my grandchildren accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior gives me peace. Slowly but surely my understanding of peace has developed through the years. I am sure that the Lord will add more understanding.

Peace is not the absence of conflict. Peace is holding the hand of Jesus during the conflict in our lives. It is the promise of surviving the conflict and being victorious in Jesus. It is having the perfect love of Jesus that eradicates fear. Peace is being in the ‘son’ shine even when the darkness crowds around us. Peace is seeing the beauty that God places about us.

Several years ago, when our Chinese friend Linda was baptized, she described the peace that she felt as she came up out of the water. The peace she described was in such contrast to the life without Jesus, that I realized anew how great our God is. No matter what this world holds for Linda, I know that the Holy Spirit works in her life because of her faith and trust that beget peace.

Another phrase that Mrs. Doran sang was this: “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.” John 14:27.

The word ‘leave’ designates partings. How many times have we bid our four children goodbye. How many times have I left my parents after visits. No matter how many times, I hear the voice of Mrs. Doran in my heart singing, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you!” And hearing her voice, reminds me in ‘Whom my faith rests’!

My prayer is that you find peace in Him, and learn of Him who is able to keep you. And you, too, will sing of His peace awaiting His coming….
Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. John 14:28
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