Monday, March 28, 2016

A Picture of Peace by Guest Author Dianne Neal Matthews


Today's guest is doing a Giveaway to one winner this week. Leave a blog comment to enter your name to possibly win A copy of The One Year Women of the Bible.

One spring afternoon I rushed around like a mad woman, trying to fit in all the errands and grocery shopping before time for the kids to get home from school. My tight grip on the steering wheel and my tensed shoulders revealed the turmoil inside my mind.

I thought about all the problems I was facing: financial troubles, relationship difficulties, physical issues… Sure, life on this earth can be hard, but all these trials at the same time? It felt like my life had spiraled out of control. TWEET THIS

Suddenly I had the urge to bear down on the horn. The green light at the intersection ahead was plain as day, so why were we creeping along at a snail’s pace? As I got closer to the intersecting street, I saw the reason for the stop-and-go traffic.

A mother duck held her head high as she marched across five lanes of traffic, with four baby ducks in tow. The fuzzy ducklings waddled behind her with a steady rhythm in front of the stopped cars. Mesmerized, I stared at the procession and wondered, “How can they not be frightened when they’re surrounded on all sides by cars and city noise?”

That’s when I noticed how intently the mother duck stared at her destination—the other side of the street. Her ducklings kept in single file with their heads held high and eyes also fixed straight ahead. Suddenly I understood.

The secret to peace is to not look at my surroundings, but to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus, “the author and perfecter” of my faith (Hebrews 12:2 NIV). The only way I can stay tranquil in the midst of turmoil is to concentrate on my Guide, the One who has promised to get me safely to my destination. TWEET THIS

Sometimes our life journey takes us to a place where we feel as though we’re trapped in the middle of a traffic jam, honking cars on every side. If we ask for God’s help, He will fill us with His peace that transcends our circumstances. Then we can hold our head high, fix our eyes on Jesus, and navigate our way to the peace and safety of His will. TWEET THIS




Dianne Neal Matthews is a freelance writer and the author of four daily devotional books, including The One Year Women of the Bible and Designed for Devotion: A 365-Day Journey from Genesis to Revelation. She and her husband have three children and three adorable grandchildren. To learn more, please visit www.DianneNealMatthews.com.


Connect with Dianne through Facebook, Twitter, or Goodreads.

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