| A Refuge from the Storm by Karen Jordan |
Can God transform our homes into places of peace and safe harbors from the storms our families often
face? God’s Word says, “Everything is possible for him who believes” (Mark 9:23).
A gift and a prayer. Rest and peace in my home? If I need rest, I usually try to escape to a hotel or a
cabin on the lake. But when I began to pray for peace in my home, my sister, Cathy, gave me an
attractive wooden engraved sign with the message, “God’s peace be in our home.”
An answer to prayer. During a serious family conflict, I prayed for God to guide me by His peace
(Colossians 3:15). He led me to resign from my stressful job to focus on my home and help care for my
newborn grandson. Then, as I sat rocking him one morning, a strange sensation swept over me like a
cool breeze. And I asked, “What is this, Lord?”
Immediately, I sensed the answer within my soul, “Peace.”
“Peace?” I drew a long breath; then, I relaxed and exhaled. Had I never experienced real peace before?
A place of refuge. I often observe others finding an unexpected emotional release and rest in my
home. My grown children still collapse for hours on our sofa when they visit us. And I can usually find my
husband resting in his favorite chair after a challenging day. Recently, I heard my oldest grandson—now
a teenager—stretched out across our leather couch declaring, “Peace—at last!”
A spiritual battle. While a battle to rob us of peace still rages around us, God continues to use our
home as a place of refuge. During the latest hurricane threat to the Texas Gulf Coast, a couple of our
extended family members evacuated their homes and moved in with us.
Sighing from exhaustion, my mother-in-law closed her eyes and relaxed on our sofa. Without saying a
word, I watched her experience the rest and peace that we discovered that our home offers.
A peaceful possibility. Is it really possible for our homes to be transformed into peaceful shelters from
tempestuous times? “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God”
(Mark 10:27).
© 2008 Karen Jordan. All rights reserved.
Karen Jordan—professional and technical writer, writing instructor, Bible teacher, and speaker—
addresses topics about her faith and writing. Karen and her husband, Dan, have two married
children and six grandchildren. Find Karen’s website and blog at www.karenjordan.net.
addresses topics about her faith and writing. Karen and her husband, Dan, have two married
children and six grandchildren. Find Karen’s website and blog at www.karenjordan.net.
