By Gerri Leder
Car trips were especially boisterous when we visited Grandma as kids. Six kids sharing the second row and ‘way back’ of a station wagon generated every kind of noise, from happy chaos to disputes about whose turn it was to sit in a certain spot or play with the popular toy. No wonder my Dad invented the “quiet game,” in which the first one to break the silence lost. The quiet game was pointless to us and not fun. Needless to say, it was over quickly!
My Dad’s desire for peace and quiet makes a lot of sense to me now, though the peace we seek in Advent is much deeper than the peace of a quiet room (or car) to hear ourselves think. And so, when we consider that the theme is peace for the second week of Advent, what is it all about?
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7
God reveals himself to us in prayer, opening us to the peace that surpasses all understanding. This peace is a spiritual balm like no other. Turning our hearts to God, we find rest for the weary, hope for the hopeless, comfort for the afflicted, and peace for the anxious.
There is no peace without surrender, of course, and therein lies the challenge. The Word of God asks to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and not to lean on our own understanding, and to acknowledge Him in all things so that God will make our paths straight. In other words, we need to get out of our own way, quiet the mind, surrender our will and trust in God to lead the way.
I will be honest with you: surrender is a course I fail regularly. You are not alone if you are distracted in prayer or harbor other impediments to surrender. The little voice in our heads that keeps us from focusing on the present moment is called the monkey brain, categorized by a restless, unsettled, or easily distracted state of mind where thoughts jump from one thing to another. This chattering threatens our hope of surrender in the moment.
Or, do we have other impediments to surrender? Do we need to let go of something — grief, unwelcome news, a weight that cannot easily be shed — and ask God bear it for us?
God is already with us in this struggle, as we read in Psalm 139. Even when we bear burdens for a long period of time, we can pray that God changes us and builds our strength to bear what we have to bear.
The best we can do is to quiet the mind for a few minutes a day, surrender our thoughts to God, and ask for His mercy, grace, and love. Finding a little peace in our hearts this month goes a long way toward maintaining equilibrium, acting out in love, and yes, finding peace.
Let us close our eyes and lift our hearts to God, asking for God’s help in summoning peace in our lives. Reflect prayerfully on each of these questions:
- Can you remember a time when you felt peace and consolation?
- What does it mean to surrender your own will to the promise of peace?
- Where in your life do you need to access peace?
- Who in your life needs your peace and forgiveness?
- How can you turn over your suffering/burden/grief to God?
- What are you willing to relinquish to experience the “peace that surpasses all understanding?”
May the promise of Advent and the coming of the Prince of Peace bring you wholeness, peace, and well-being. May you remember in prayer the Advent themes of hope, peace, joy and love. Next week, we explore JOY as a third week theme in Advent.
Gerri Leder, a graduate of the Spiritual Direction Institute at Bon Secours, is a retreat leader and small group facilitator. She retired as a marketing consultant for financial advice firms.