Word Art Wednesday: His Peace is Our Peace

Another Wednesday--they pass so quickly--and another fabulous opportunity to share your projects with everyone.  You will have several freebies to choose from this week at Word Art Wednesday, each of them from one of my newest scripture sets at Daydream Designs, Peace and Rest Scripture Set.  I'll showcase the one I'm using in my sample here, but you can find more on our challenge blog at Word Art Wednesday.

(also available in black/white version)

I also had the joy of writing the devotion for this week's challenge.  Finding comfort in this verse ministered to my heart this week, and I hope it will comfort you too.  I've included my devotion here but do visit our challenge blog for more inspiration and to see what our sponsors have for you.

My Sample:

When It Rains, It Pours: You Need an Umbrella!

On any given day, we might long for a few peaceful moments as our lives seem to get increasingly hectic.  No doubt you’ve had times described by the “when it rains, it pours” cliché.  Too many deadlines to keep, too many activities to juggle, too many people demanding more of you...and suddenly you feel like you are in a debilitating deluge getting drenched. 

Peace—we grab it where and when we can, we hold it over our heads to deflect the downpour for just a few moments—a 15 minute soak in the tub is a luxury, a quiet evening out with your husband is delightful but rare, an evening when you find you are alone in the house and you just sit to soak up the quiet.  Peace.  We long for it because we spend our days hurrying and worrying, don’t we?  There are so many things in our world to worry about.  What are your umbrellas?  What helps you stay dry during the storms of life? 

 I have to confess, one of my umbrellas is Pinterest.  Pinterest!!??  I told you I was confessing!  I spend nearly an hour on most days leisurely browsing pins as though I were strolling through the cool and quiet marble halls of an art gallery.  I pin nearly everything I see.  Pinning makes me happy. Pinning makes me momentarily believe that I could re-create what I see, makes me dream of having the time and the talent to pull off those perfect projects. Pinterest is my get-away.  The problem is, I rarely make what I pin.  Perhaps I create a CASED card now and then.   But mostly I just pin and dream.   All too soon I’m grabbed from my reverie as the rains of reality start soaking through my umbrella and I have to make a dash back into life dodging deep puddles as I go.  Life gets muddy; the peace doesn’t last.

Any peace, any quiet refuge we find in this world won’t last.  We can’t expect it to. The world isn’t capable of giving lasting peace.   No spa day, no shopping-for-just-me days, no pills, no get-aways, no counselor—they are all umbrellas that tear under the weight of pelting torrents of real-life drama.  The rain always comes again.  We need a peaceful shelter that will last.  

That’s why Jesus offers the teaching in our challenge verse, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)  What an amazing promise.  The peace that Jesus offers to us can eliminate our troubled hearts!  Notice He doesn’t imply His peace removes trouble from our lives.  Troubles will still rain down, no doubt.  But His peace will heal a troubled and fearful heart.  That is a shelter worth seeking.  As we come into deep relationship with the Savior, surrendering self and sin, we come under His shelter.   

More than an umbrella, His peace is water-proof armor.  We can move through the storms of life and not get wet!  “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” (Isaiah 43:2)  Peace.  Walking through floods and not getting wet.  Marching through rivers and crossing on dry land.  Standing in our fiery furnaces and not getting singed.  That is the power of the peace of Christ.  The floods are there, and rivers rush by us, fires sweep through our lives.  Still, the peace of Christ calms our hearts, fuels our faith, strengthens our resolve, and moves us forward.  Peace, not as the world gives, but His peace. The only peace.  Is His peace your peace?  If you trust Him, your troubled heart can know His power, His presence and His amazing peace. 

     For my sample, I paper-pieced the umbrella and boots, and colored the raincoat and jeans to match the colors in the paper pack that coordinates with this scripture set.  I also used the a sheet from the Sunshine and Rain paper pack, but altered the color slightly for this card.

Sets Used:

Peace and Rest Scripture and Sentiment Set

(Includes BOTH color and black versions)

6 images / JPEG and PNG / 300 ppi / resizable

$4.00

Shine Like Stars Super Paper Pack

16 sheets / 12 x 12 / resizable / 300 ppi

$3.50

Sunshine and Rain Outline Set

21 images / JPEG and PNG / 300 ppi / resizable

$4.00 

(Also available in color version HERE)

Sunshine and Rain Paper Pack

10 sheets / JPEG only/ 6 x 6 / 300 ppi / resizable

$3.00