Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. –John 14:27
Imagine our physical, mental, and emotional experience each day as three roller coasters next to each other at an amusement park. Depending where you are on the ride, you are expectant, exhilarated, or sick to your stomach.
Your spiritual life, when it is active, is like being on an observation deck above the rise and fall of the track and cars. You can see everything—notice the people waiting, screaming, and holding on tight, but it does not change your peace. As you sit, relaxed in a lounge chair sipping a coffee, you notice what is happening, and you trust that the ride will continue.
Even if the ride stops precariously on the edge of a sharp decline, you know that everything will work out because you have seen the pattern of the cars following the track before.
When you incorporate spiritual practice into daily living, it gives you a perspective on what is happening to you. Instead of getting caught up in the drama, you choose to be calm and confident regardless.
When you get sick, you believe you will get well and you rest as you heal. You feel the doubt, fear, and panic when trouble happens, but you let go of the negative energy quickly because you realize the spinning thoughts and the stressful emotions will pass.
You have known times when you felt peace, even though life was out of control. These are the moments when you listened to your spirit. Your spirit knows that you will feel peace again, even through the slow rises and terrifying falls.
Sitting on the observation deck, even as you ride three coasters at once, is the practice of living the graceful life.
I am at peace with God. My conflict is with Man.
–Charlie Chaplin
When do you feel calm even though everything around you is spinning out of control?
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