Searching for Peace

First day of my senior year.....welcome back to reality! I was a little (or a lot) scared to go back to that place. I'm not too big a fan of high school in general, and when I left a few months ago for summer, I was NOT in a good place. However, this summer I was opened to receive and was blessed with soooo much grace. The last few months, I've been learning about things a little more important than chemistry and calculus ;) So I figured my first day back would be fairly difficult and challenging in itself. Instead, I had a great day, walking very closely by His side.

I am known to worry: BAD. It seems like I'm constantly doing something; always focusing on what I still need to get done instead of what I've actually accomplished. I just assumed I would start out this year no different-worrying about homework, friends, clubs, and little sister chauffer times. God pleasantly surprised me! While going for my morning walk and praying a rosary, He reminded me of something I heard a while back: Peace is not the absence of conflict.

The school year is definitly a time when peace can be hard to find. It seems there are an infinite number of things to get done RIGHT NOW, no time to actually do them, and a lack of faithful friends close at hand to remind us whose glory we're working for. It's tough-that's a fact. But it's also packed with opportunities: to grow in our faith by relying on God instead of others, to make connections with new people, to learn about our world, and to spread His Love to those who need it most.

No matter what we go through, we should take comfort in the thought that there is more. We should breathe easier knowing that this war that we're fighting is only a part of a near invisible dot on the scale of eternity. Beyond all the chemistry tests, club meetings, sports practices, hectic work schedules, and relationship problems, there is something beautiful and awe-inspiring. There is PEACE.But it doesn't just happen. We are all striving for it-and we will continue to do so daily for the rest of our lives. I mean, we are human, after all ;)

We must pray for the grace and the courage to find peace. Because being peaceful means that in the midst of studying for our finals, planning our upcoming work week, fighting with friends, and fighting a headache,we take a moment to breathe. It means that we stop going crazy for thirty seconds to thank our Lord and let Him know He's done good work; even if it doesn't seem like it to us at the time. Peacefulness is knowing that every trial and suffering we encounter-great or small, overcome or not-can be offered up in order to make a difference somehow.

Peacefulness is more than just being calm, quiet, and serene. Peacefulness consists of being graceful enough to go joyfully and fearlessly through this life, knowing that we are a small dot on the scale of eternity, and that the best we have been created for is yet to come.

May you always be courageous in your search, and remember that we have been made for more. Peace!