Forecast of Son and Peace

 

 I walked out of Mass with the melody of the closing song still playing in my head. As I approached my car, my pace became slower. I felt so much at peace, and I didn’t want it to end. I thanked the Lord for the beautiful gift of the Mass and prayed that I would not lose this peacefulness in my soul. 

 Unfortunately, only a few minutes passed before one of my children managed to annoy one of their siblings. “Do you know why I walked slower to the car today,” I asked my kids? “I didn’t want to lose that sense of peace that I feel during Mass.”

 My son looked at me and said, “Well, the church is just the place you feel peace amidst all the storms.”

 “But why must the storm always rage?” I asked. “Wouldn’t it be great if there were more moments when the storm was quiet? Is it possible for you to quiet the storm within you?”

 “Ya, I don’t know,” my son replied. 

 This got me thinking. How much do I contribute to the storms around me? Do I allow the clouds to darken my thoughts and words? Do I treat others/family differently once I’m outside the Mass? What changes in me, or is it because I haven’t changed enough? How different would the world be if each of us tried to quiet the storms we stir up?

 I realize changing the seasonal forecasts of life is not in my control. Still, maybe I could try to influence a partly cloudy day to become partly sunny as well. I truly desire to carry the peace of Christ past the church doors, and I want His peace to influence my thoughts and everyday moments. I often think it would be great to be sheltered from life’s storms. But learning to sing God’s melody of peace through the unexpected downpours of rain may ultimately be the best change to my future forecast.

  

-Susan