Searching for Peace

By Guest Writer, Waldene Drake.

Peace! The world wants it; countries seek it; we all yearn for it!

Our lives are surrounded by a lot of “noise"..Distraction and frenzy abound everywhere—with children, school, work, church, and even at home! If life throws in an abnormal mammogram, a personal attack, or a looming big decision, our stress levels shoot up dramatically.

God’s Word assures us that life will have upheavals. Leaders and their families seem to have more than their share. Jesus tells us, “‘I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world’” (John 16:33,

NIV). I particularly like the Amplified Bible’s version because the end of that verse says, “‘ I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.’”

The Bible also tells us that true peace is a “peace that transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7, NIV). God assures us that we can go through anything swirling around us, trying to drag us down, when we have Him and the peace that only He gives. Furthermore, He provides it in abundant quantity.

Accessing Peace

So, amidst the trouble that comes in our daily lives, how do Christ-following women find this promised peace that they so desperately need and want? Isaiah gives us some insight in response to that question: “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3, NIV).

Although I do not read Hebrew, I read biblical scholars who do. They tell me that the Hebrew word for “perfect” is not used in the verse above. The Hebrew word for peace, shalom, is simply repeated twice. One Hebrew writer explained that Hebrew grammar shows degrees by repeating a word. Just as a double-shot expresso will give my heart the jitters, so my heart jumped when I realized the implication here: A “double-dose of shalom” is available to me. It is peace-peace!

Keeping the Peace

There is something else to notice: God keeps us in perfect peace when our minds are focused on Him. I do not have to hold on for dear life, fight for peace, stand firm, or anything else. God does the keeping when my thoughts are fixed on Him.

However, that seemingly simple objective is not easy to maintain. The primary way to stay connected with our Lord is through the daily reading of His Word and spending time with Him in prayer. That is the secret to peace in the Christian’s life. Consequently, those daily practices must be safeguarded. Yet how do I hold on to that peace when life hits me midday—when the mail comes or the doctor’s office calls—bringing anxiety attacks?

Sustaining Peace?

Here are some ideas for holding on to that peace that I have observed in the practices of some Christian friends:

My friend Val has large and small crosses on her walls, on her tables, on the refrigerator—you get the picture. Throughout her day, she says, they remind her of God’s great gift. What articles in our homes could daily remind us of His goodness?

Our pastor creates habits for the in-between-spaces in life. So, in the two minutes and forty-five seconds each morning while his coffee brews, he prays for his son and daughter. Not much, you say? But that practice brings his focus back to God at a defined point in his daily ritual. Where, in our days, could we make a habit, triggered by a routine, that would remind us that God is there?

Another friend places sticky notes on her desk at work. As she makes decisions throughout the day, she considers biblical truths, such as “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight”(Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV).

Further, our pastor’s wife has set her home’s smart speaker to come on each morning by playing Christian music. It starts the entire family’s day with praises on their lips.

At the end of my day, I’ve developed a recent practice. Lying in bed, I review my day, and pull out several, specific blessings for which to thank the Lord. With my mind on His blessings and His “double-dose” of shalom, I fall quickly asleep.

Resting in Peace

Recently, one of my friends and her husband, both believers, contracted COVID. My friend quickly recovered; however, her husband, Harry, was not that fortunate. His condition deteriorated, requiring hospitalization and placement on a ventilator. For eight long days, he remained on that mechanical breathing machine, dangerously ill and isolated—no visitors allowed. One night, still very ill and alone in his ICU room, he prayed, “God, I’m so lonely. Please send someone to keep me company.” Later on, during that long, dark night, Harry awoke as someone entered the room and took his right hand. Comforted, he fell into a peaceful sleep. “Who sat by my bed and held my hand through the night?” Harry asked his nurse the next morning.

“I was here all night,” she answered, “No one was in your room!” Yet Harry knows, beyond any doubt, who was in his room that night: “For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you”(Isaiah 41:13, NIV). Just as our Almighty God kept Harry in shalom-shalom that evening, He will keep you and me there, too, when He is our abiding focus.

Rest easy, my friend!

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Waldene Drake, RN, MBA, lives in AZ. She enjoys reading, crocheting and summer travels to baseball parks. She served for 15 years as Vice President of Risk Management for the Cooperative of American Physicians, a professional liability company covering 12,000 California physicians. She taught numerous physician Risk Management seminars and was an invited speaker at dozens of physician association and hospital medical staff educational meetings. She created and developed the Risk Management Institute, an online educational program for medical office staff. Waldene authored numerous Risk Management articles for both her company and for national publications.

Waldene’s husband, Tom, served as an Executive Pastor for 20+ years, supporting the Lead Pastor in preaching duties, ministry projects, church Christian Education, and Christian School administration. During those years, Waldene served in multiple capacities supporting her husband and their church’s ministries.

Upon retirement, Waldene and her husband began to work in the Calling for Christ ministry to professional baseball umpires. Over the summer, they meet with young men, to support the believers in their faith and share the love of God with all the men with whom they visit. Through this ministry, Tom and Waldene have been rewarded to see dozens of young umpires have come to Christ, been baptized, and experienced spiritual growth as they progress in their career.

Waldene is active in a local, weekly Women’s Bible Study group which she also periodically teaches.