Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
It was 4 years ago this week that I attended a Scandinavian Festival in South Elgin. It was a wonderful 4 hours of eating Scandinavian food, enjoying Scandinavian entertainment, and learning about Scandinavian settlements in Illinois. At the many kiosks, the question was “What memento do I purchase?” When I saw it, there was no question. I had to buy it. It was a cap with the word FarFar printed on the front. FarFar is Swedish for grandfather, which is what my granddaughter calls me. I could not wait for her to see it, so I took a selfie and texted it to my son for him to show her (she did not have a cell phone at that time, but does now). About 15 minutes after I took the selfie, I realized I was not wearing my glasses. Did I take them off for the selfie? Did I drop them somewhere? Did I take them off at one of the kiosks?
I looked all around the ground where I was standing. I searched the ground as I went back to the kiosks. My glasses were nowhere to be found! So, I stopped walking and prayed. “Lord, you know where my glasses are. Please help me find them.” The Lord answered me almost immediately. No, not with the location of my glasses but with a reminder of the story of the woman in Luke 15 who swept her house looking for a lost coin. Encouraged by that story, I retraced my steps. Still nothing. What surprised me was that even though I had not found my glasses, I felt at peace. That seemed strange. I had lost an expensive pair of glasses, yet I felt peace.
Feeling peaceful, and even knowing I had to go home and tell Judy I had lost my glasses (which I did not want to do) I still felt at peace. It was time to go home. As I passed the entrance booth, I stopped to give them my name and phone number in case someone turned in a pair of glasses. The woman at the table said, “Could they be one of these two,” as she pointed to two pair of glasses. There they were! My glasses! “Thank you, Lord,” was my prayer as I walked to the car wearing my glasses.
You may be wondering why I have told you this story. As I thought of it then, and reflect on it now, I am aware that what we bring to the Lord in prayer may not be the way the Lord will answer as we expect.
I prayed for help to find my glasses and I didn’t get that help as I walked and re-walked the grounds. The Lord responded to my prayer with giving me a sense of peace. Being at peace and not being anxious, at the moment, is what the Lord knew I needed. How is it that the Lord has responded to one, or several of your prayers in a way you were not expecting yet it was what the Lord knew you needed? If it happens again, can you accept it as that which is the Lord’s wisdom for you? Know that God will answer your prayers in a way that God knows what is best for you in the moment. For us as a congregation, this may be a good word for us today as we continue to be in transition.
Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you.”
