Permeated With Peace

“The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.”  Psalm 29:11

This past week I ran in the rain.  It began as a gentle rain, but then turned into a downpour part way into the run.  I was already soaked so I continued running.  I heard the thunder in the distance and as I arrived home, I saw the lightning on the horizon. It was quite the storm when I looked outside my window.  I was thankful to be home and to make it safely through the storm.  It was a choice for me to run, but not a choice to encounter the downpour.  It was just a part of the journey.  My clothes were soaked, and the dampness permeated through to my skin.  It took all day for my shoes to dry. 

As I was running, a song was playing in my mind – “I Can See Clearly Now” –

“I can see clearly now the rain is gone

I can see all obstacles in my way

Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind

It’s gonna be a bright, bright sun shiny day.” 

I wondered why God had given me this song amid the pouring rain.  As I pondered this, I knew the rain would end sometime in the day and the sun would shine again.  It reminded me of the journey of grief.  Grief permeates our souls and soaks through every fiber of our being.  Every part of our lives is affected by this deep loss and pain.  The cloud of darkness blinds us to living and having any hope of a normal life.  We attempt to follow our old routine, and all the obstacles get in our way.  We feel overwhelmed.  It feels like the clouds will always be present without any hope of a bright, sunny day within our souls.

Sometimes we need to allow the rain of grief to permeate our souls and feel the pain and loss.  It will soak through our body and fill us with fear and a lack of focus.  The idea we will ever be happy and find hope and brightness in life, seems far beyond our reach. We will just be soaked in the sadness for the rest of our lives.  Give yourself permission to feel the grief and loss and sadness.  Allow it to permeate your soul.  You have loved deeply and been given the gift of experiencing love.  The love has soaked through you, and you have absorbed this love into the foundation of your being.  It is a part of who you are.

Now, on the journey you begin to recognize that the clouds and fog of grief are beginning to lift, and you are attempting to see life beyond the obstacles and hurts and intense pain of being alone in your grief.  God is permeating your soul with His love and His peace.  You long for peace – a contentment in the life you now have.  Peace does not mean everything is fine.  Peace just means you allow God’s Spirit to “soak” you with His presence amid the uncertainties of life.  Peace is changing your focus from the pain and loss to God’s presence.  It is attempting to live in moments.  To live in the present knowing God is with you.  It does not mean you forget the gift of love and the memories.  It just means you allow God’s presence and peace to run through your life.  This is the life you now have.  Allow God to walk with you and fill you with His presence and peace.  Your life is different now and how you feel and see life is different.  Find peace in this difference.  Allow the peace of God to permeate your soul.