“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” 2 Thessalonians 3:16
The dreaded early morning phone call. When the shrill ringing wakes you before 5am in Canada, chances are it has to be a call from the family back in the U.K., and it probably isn’t good news.
Last week I had to say goodbye to my beloved grandmother, my Nanny. She was elderly and in hospital, but it was still unexpected to say the least.
It wasn’t quite right, speaking into a telephone for the last time to a precious lady who has always been there for me. I had to shove the myriad of memories to one side as we uttered feeble, broken-hearted words on speakerphone amidst a hospital room full of family members in England. It was probably the saddest moment of my life.
And yet, even in the deepest sorrow, I had peace. Not a fluffy, emotional feeling; it was deep-rooted, unshakable, comforting, all-encompassing. The peace only found in a God who loves lavishly and is completely sovereign. A perfect peace.
John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
We all strive for peace in our lives- in our relationships, in our families, in the world… we crave it, we need it, we spend years seeking it out in a plethora of places, we’re tormented without it- when all along God offers it. Perfect peace “at all times and in every way”.
A bubble of joy wells within me today as I picture Nanny in eternity with her Lord and with the love of her life, my granddad. I think about my gentle, quiet grandmother with a fierce love for family, worshipping the Lord of Peace… maybe even playing “Red Sails in the Sunset” for Him on a heavenly piano…
I know the grief will hit me afresh when I see my sisters, my parents, Nanny’s home full of her treasures, but I take delight in the fact that God’s comfort and peace is not here merely for a season…
“What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand”
