Finding Peace

©Dianna Auton 2021

I’m sitting here on my back deck listening to the sounds of nature. I’ve been out here a lot since the cicadas have left us. We had millions in our yard and remnants of their 6 week visit are still visible. My yard is beginning to heal from their time here but we are still seeing some scarring in the trees and on the ground. I have dozens of holes where they emerged. But I can once again sit outside and ponder, work in the garden, read, and enjoy time with my family. 

During the infestation of my yard I began to wonder if they would ever leave us. I mean, I know it’s part of their 17 year cycle but I really wanted them gone. I needed my oasis back. That peace that came from just sitting outside and enjoying the yard. After 7 years of apartment living I have thoroughly enjoyed my backyard space. But then the Cicadas came. Mid-April to Mid-June all I could hear from 6am to 10pm every single day was their noise. I would walk outside and they would just fall out of the trees leaving their empty shells behind. It felt like it was raining cicadas. Not to mention that they are just terrifying. They look like they came out of the pit of hell with those red eyes. Plus they scream when they fly at you. Have you ever heard a cicada scream? It’s the creepiest thing I have ever heard. I just wanted them gone. I needed them gone. 

Isn’t that how it is when you are going through something. A trial or a problem. In the midst of it you just never see how it will ever come to an end but you know deep down it will pass and you will be on the other side. You struggle with finding your peace. You don’t know where your oasis has gone. What once was that peaceful place is no longer peaceful. But that is why you have to carry your peace with you. You need to find that peace that passes all understanding. When the physical oasis is no longer there you need to be able to look to that inner peace that God has supplied you. The one that says “I’m going through something right now. And it doesn’t look good. But I will make it through because God is on my side.”

© Dianna Auton 2021

For many years I looked for things to give me the peace I craved. Shopping, food, my husband and kids. But none of it gave me lasting peace. It is only in finding my place in God’s kingdom that I have found that peace. Don’t get me wrong, I still struggle at times but that is when God sends a word through the scripture, a friend, a pastor, a stranger that reminds me that I am His and He is mine and I don’t need to worry because he hasn’t failed me yet. 

When I am anxious and need that inner peace to come through I remember this verse. I quote it, read it, study it and meditate on it. It has become a life verse for me.

Philippians 4: 6-9 (NIV) “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

Are you struggling with finding your peace today? The first step is making Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior. Romans 10:9 & 10 (NIV) says “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.“

It is literally that simple. You can repeat this prayer if you need some guidance. 

“Jesus, I take you today as my Lord and my Savior. Sin, Satan, you do not own me. Jesus you are my Lord.”

See how simple and easy it is? Your next step is to tell someone what you have done. That is where the profession comes in. You can do that by leaving a comment, sending me an email or letting someone you know and trust know what you have done. Next, find a good church. Get into the Word of God and start praying daily. 

I would love to hear from you and know what God is doing in you and through you. 

© Dianna Auton 2021