How can I find Christ’s Peace when I am not feeling peaceful?
Finding peace has been very difficult for me lately. Most days I am literally one hot mess of middle-aged, emotional, empty-nester, on a change-of-life roller-coaster ride of forever playing catch up, behind the eight ball, new puppy schedule missing my boys trying to balance marriage relationship and domestic duties with church ministries, teaching and music activities. Needless to say, the struggle is real!
Then it occurred to me that the more I focus on myself, and all I have to do, the less peaceful I feel. Conversely, the more I focus on others, the more peaceful I feel.
My most peaceful “others” moment during any given crazy week happens during Mass on the weekends when I hear everyone in church singing one of our sacred songs together. The community’s relationship with a particular song is characterized by the volume and energy of the singing. When the volume and energy of our voices reaches a certain level, there is amazing peace and power in that sound. Hearing this sound actually creates a deep peace for me at that special moment, even when I may not be feeling personally peaceful. Your voices…our voices together…remind me of the thing that brings ultimate peace amidst the storms of life: Hope in Jesus.
Thank you for singing.
-Amy Righi