“One ‘Blessed Be God’ in the times of adversity, is worth more than a thousand acts of gratitude in the times of prosperity.” – St. John of Avila

Kyle and I spent our date night canoeing on the turquoise waters of Elbow Lake here in Irons, Michigan. It was a cool, calm evening with a radiant sunset and colorful, autumn trees. We cast out our lines, creating ripples that disturbed the watery mirror reflecting the sky. Even our small wake from rowing was enough to blur the reflection. Only when we sat perfectly still could we flawlessly see the upside-down image of trees, blue skies, and pink clouds reflecting on the glassy water. We slowly breathed in the fresh, crisp air, taking in the peaceful beauty and noises of wildlife that surrounded us. The more we remained calm and serene, the more brilliant the reflection.

When our souls are at rest in the sovereignty of God, when we are living in trust and filled with peace, the better we reflect the beauty and majesty of our Creator. The world cannot see Him in us when we are unsettled, full of fear, or living in perpetual anxiety. Trust invites beauty, and contentment brings joy greater than gold. A truly free heart is a heart that has let go and has placed all circumstances, people, and imperfections into the hands of a good and all-powerful God. A spirit at rest has recognized its inability to be God and remembers that it is dust. Without the breath of God, we are inanimate, lifeless material. Who are we to think we can change anyone or anything but by the grace of God? He has no need for us, yet, in His kindness, He chooses to let us participate in His plan as He sees fit. To move outside of this grace and to take on matters that we are powerless to change causes ripples and wakes that make it difficult to see the Image we were made to reflect. Discontentment and anxiety are the waves that stir up our souls with blurred and confusing pictures of the One we claim as Lord. But is He? Is He Lord? Or are we?

Daily, moment-by-moment, we are being invited into a rest that the world needs to see. A peace that shines like the stars. A serenity that speaks of hope and the world to come. Is our life drawing people into the new Jerusalem of Heaven? Can people breathe in the fresh, sweet aroma of Christ, feel His serenity, taste His goodness, and behold His beauty when they look at us? What can we cut out of our lives that is bitter, odious, and distasteful? Is it gossip? Is it pride? Is it subtle bragging, micromanaging, or impossible expectations? Is it self-pity or selfishness? What if we took a moment to examine our conscious and ask the hard questions? What freedom could be ours on the other side of repentance? Sometimes our green meadow is waiting for us when we go through the valley of the shadow of death – perhaps even death to self. Maybe a great feast is waiting for us in the presence of our enemies, but we must first face them to be delivered from them. Perhaps peace cannot be found until we are ready to embrace the waves – trusting that no matter what, the Providence of God will always prevail.

“Oh ye of little faith,” said Jesus to His disciples as the waves threatened their lives. If it takes little faith to trust that God is the commander of the storms, imagine what big faith must do? It would look like Job, who, when his livelihood was taken away, when his own children were slaughtered by wild animals, and when painful sores were unescapable, could still say, “From dust I came, and to dust I shall return. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away, but blessed be His name.” What would it be like to live in this kind of trust? Is there a peace that comes from being fully unattached to our circumstances and completely surrendered to a God that doesn’t always make sense in our finite minds?

I have never been in circumstances like Job’s, but I have been in undesirable ones. I have found that when I exchange the “Change my circumstances” prayers to “Help me to be content,” God is right there, ready to grant me my request and fill me with a grace not only to accept my cross, but to carry it with joy. It is in this grace that, inwardly, my heart feels calm and at rest. When I choose peace and trust, I can see the goodness of God all the more clearly.

It was enlightening to see how just one subtle movement in the canoe caused enough of a ripple to blur the water’s image of the scene above. Likewise, even one small complaint or one moment of anxiety clouds our ability to see and reflect God. Yet, in just the small acts of saying, “God, I trust You,” God, help me,” “God, grant me contentment,” “God, forgive them…” He is right there, ready to restore peace, rest, and a stillness that will brilliantly reflect His image to us and through us.