Can I Find Peace?

As the teacher peers around her room she is pleased to see her students engaged in reading a favorite book. There is a peace that falls over the room as the children immerse into the stories they hold. That peace didn’t just happen. It took the teacher weeks of building reading stamina and establishing routines and procedures to get to this point. As she developed the procedures and set the expectations, the students rose to the challenge and now all enjoy the end result.

During this pandemic, peace seems difficult to grasp at times. We don’t have our students in front of us so that we can read the expressions on their faces. We don’t know what their daily routine looks like or the challenges they may be facing. Now more than ever, we need God’s peace. This is our ultimate test of trusting the Lord with our students. 

God promises to give us peace. The peace mentioned in this verse comes from obedience. When we follow God’s expectations and put in place routines in our own lives, He will allow us to grow closer to Him. This kind of peace overflows into other areas of our lives as well, including our classrooms.

What routines can we put in place so that we can access that supernatural peace that only God can offer? To help with this, ask yourself this question:

If God had His way with my schedule what would He include?

• Intentional Prayer – When do you pray? We have the privilege of communicating with God anytime and anyplace. Setting a “date” with God to connect with him in prayer is a great practice. It may include journaling your prayers at the beginning or end of the day.  It could be that you pray when at a red light or while waiting in line at the grocery store.  Praying as you unlock the door to your classroom is a great habit to start as well as thanking God as you lock it up at the end of the day.

• Intentional Quiet Time – Purposeful rest and spending time with God is key to building a relationship with Him. This time may include reading the Bible or devotional book, prayer, and reflecting. When reading the Bible take some time to read a portion of text. Reflect on what that text is saying about God and/or humanity. Think about what your personal response should be to what was revealed to you by the Holy Spirit.

• Intentional Investment in Relationships – Taking time to acknowledge and experience good moments with those we love sets up future good moments. Schedule time to connect with your family and friends. This also holds true for your colleagues. Ten to fifteen minutes per day connecting with your peers will actually boost your productivity!

• Intentional Joy – We are each created uniquely with different ways that we fill up and find joy. What are your replenishing streams of joy? What gives you joy in your personal life? What brings you joy in your career? Time in nature, reading, exercise, and creative projects are just a few examples. Create routines that incorporate these into your daily life. If you do this, you will have something to be thankful for everyday.

The key to each of these is to be intentional! Create a space for each of these and see what God does with it.