Perfect Peace

Today instead of journaling in my Bible, I worked on this plaque.  It has a real story behind it.

When I was a pre-teen girl, I went away to a church camp one summer, and made this plaque.  It looked quite a bit different then.  It was a VERY bright yellow with bright green vines and black lettering.  I didn't realize it at the time, but looking back, this was my very first experience with artistic Bible journaling.  And it stuck with me in a special way, just as my current Bible journaling is doing.  

Anyway, I gave this plaque to my grandmother, and it hung on the wall in her kitchen for MANY years.  When she died several years ago, I chose to keep it, thinking I could re-paint it and hang it in my Office/Craft Room.  Today turned out to be the day for painting it in colors that go with my room.

As I write about this, I realize several things:

• Ever since working on this project as a child, I've remembered the reference for this text (Isaiah 26:3).  I THOUGHT it was because of working so hard to paint it - but just realized that the reference is NOT on the plaque!  (After I took this picture, I added it in small letters at the bottom - just because.)  I know in part, the reason I remembered it was that it rhymed with the text - "Thee", "3" - but mostly, I realize now, it was the creative process itself, that took this verse deep into my mind.
• The reason I found myself working on this on May 4, was that on May 3, I was guided to finally go through a bunch of my Grandmother's things that I had brought home after her death.  This is something I've needed to do for some time, but just couldn't seem to bring myself to do.  I only realized today that the VERY day I went through her things was the anniversary of her death four years ago - to the very day!
• God brought this verse to mind in such a powerful way because I REALLY needed to hear it this week!  I am facing a specific challenge today and have been tempted to wallow in fear about it several times the past few weeks (or run away from the fear by indulging in various escape mechanisms).   I haven't been fully aware of it, but it is SO encouraging to see that as I was led to very specifically ask God to guide me on May 3, He did so in such a way that I could not help but see that He was answering that prayer!

Thank you, Father!  For this whole week, in a special way, I ask for your love to flow through me.  You have promised that perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18) and I know that only YOUR love is perfect! I claim this promise today, Father, seeking that perfect peace that you would like for me to experience constantly.  Thank you that you will indeed keep me in Perfect Peace today as I keep my focus on you.  Thank you, God!