Some people would say that peace is usually represented by a dove. Today, I want to share with you how peace has been represented by a sweet 8 year old girl and her pony. Webster defines “peace” as “freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions.” Wow! This is exactly what we were able to see and experience first hand as my daughter I had her tonsils and adenoids out yesterday. She was quiet, calm, and full of peace. For many, peace may be something that comes easily. God has gifted you with an outlook on life that resonates with peace. For some of us, it is something we have to constantly remind ourselves of. As believers we have the fruit of the spirit and that includes His ever present peace. I tend to be one of those in the 2nd category and so does my daughter. From an early age she has been extremely fearful.
Let me share an example with you that is very appropriate for this time of year. We do not do the traditional Santa as some families do; however, our children know it is a “game” some families play, and they know that mommy and daddy really bring the gifts. Well, when we bought our new house, someone in our family noticed that it has a nice chimney and made the comment that Santa can now come down our chimney. Our daughter was 3 and remembered a story about a man coming down the chimney to bring gifts. He is a stranger, and she didn’t want a stranger coming into her home. So she screamed and cried every time she had to pass through the living room. Well, the way our house is laid out you can’t get anywhere without passing through the living room or seeing the living room from the balcony upstairs. Needless to say, she was not a happy child in our new home….so, for 6 months we had a cardboard box sitting in front of our fireplace/chimney so she didn’t have to see it and this “mighty” cardboard box would keep anyone out who might want to come down it. This is just one of many “fear” issues we’ve dealt with and had to pray through and about with our daughter. So you can imagine how my heart was so anxious as we were preparing her for her upcoming surgery.
Daily, my prayer was that she would be filled with peace. I really didn’t know what else to pray. God answers the simple direct prayers, and I thank him for giving my sweet little girl peace before, during, and after her surgery. She got a precious pony stuffed animal/blanket afterwards and guess what she decided to name it? 
She named it Peace because she wanted to remember that God gave her peace during her surgery. Oh, the faith of little children! Thank you, God, for such a sweet precious reminder of what childlike faith looks like. Please fill me with your peace as I continue to teach, train, and parent the 3 little girls you’ve given to us!! Thank you for reminding me through a pony about your peace.
