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Make Me a Channel of Your Peace
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October 10, 2022On October 10, 2021 just one year ago; I did the unimaginable. I submitted my final manuscript for publication after seven years of thinking about it. There was no turning back -no more changes. I felt trepidation, but also such inner peace in my soul after so many years of writing, rewriting, editing and modifying many, many drafts. I fought through so many anxious feelings. I worried if anyone would even buy it and could it offer spiritual transformation possibilities for my readers? I questioned if I was really supposed to share my innermost feelings with the world? Up until the very last second when I pressed send….I prayed I was fully acting in accordance with His will and not my own assumptions of what I thought He wanted me to do.
Writing a book that provided intentional strategies for feeling peace and living more joyfully in harmony with others was my best laid plan to use my gifts to make a difference. I hoped that God’s will was following through with this plan because I didn’t feel 100% confident until that final submission. Sharing my faith so boldly required a new level of courage and commitment I hadn’t explored before. I sensed that persecution and rejection were very possible outcomes, but I hoped for some acceptance and joy too. My goal was to help others to minimize their anxiety and instead, provide tested life strategies that would truly let them live more peace-filled lives.
The Prayer of St. Francis, a personal favorite of mine asks God to “make us a channel of His peace. The petitions invite us to be remarkable—where this is hatred, let me sow your love, where there is where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.
We can’t survive the chaos of our world with daily reminders of domestic violence, political upheaval, gun violence and discrimination without first having peace in our hearts or we become part of the toxicity. To become an instrument of peace and light-we need intentional living strategies that proactively overcome the darkness with God’s intercession through prayer. It had worked for me and God did not want me to keep those ideas to myself. Even Dr. Martin Luther King agreed, “peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal!"
Fear manifests itself when faith is weak and we simply put our faith in the wrong kingdom. We can’t share peace if we don’t feel it ourselves. That’s our call and goal for living as His disciples. We can’t use the gifts God has given to us if we are anxious and stressed. St. Paul even reinforced this life mission in his letters. “Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.”(Corinthians 13:11).
For 2,000 years God has faithfully renewed His covenant with His chosen ones—today we can still take comfort that His promise of peace is genuine, but we have to invite Him into our decisions in order to experience this fully. He will not impose His will on our free will.
Let’s be a “channel of peace” by really trusting in God’s word, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6) These are words to live by every single day. Our Father patiently waits to hear from us. Commit today. Reach out to Him.
