Peace Be Upon This House

Snowy Landscape at Mrs. White's Vermont Home.

I was reading about how the apostles sang a hymn after the Lord's supper. (1)  The thought was so precious to me that it gave me a comforting sense of peace. In another passage of Scripture, I read the beautiful words, "Peace be unto you." (2) We are all in desperate need of peace. We need a rested spirit; a contented feeling that all is well. . .  We need peace.

In the home, and in the world around us, there is stress and anxiety. We are often kept on high alert because of conflict, trials, and fear.   We are frequently troubled by the actions of others.  This can strain our nerves and make us irritable.

Despite all this difficulty, how can we maintain peace in the home?

We ought to think about the peacemakers.  These are people who create a happy environment.  They provide a place of rest.  This allows one to have a time for quiet of the mind.  Many homemakers are doing this type of work each day.  They continually work on creating an atmosphere of a real and genuine home, where one feels welcomed and safe.

Here are some ideas for helping to calm the nerves and settle into a happy rest at home:

1.  To quiet the stressful noise of outside traffic, or the clatter of the noise indoors, it is soothing to turn on a little fan.   It blocks the disrupting and sudden sounds around us.  The noise of the motor is usually steady and pleasant.  I often have a fan going, at certain times of the day. This helps bring peace to our weary nerves.

2. Stop and listen to the rustle of the leaves from the wind.  Hear the singing of the birds.  Just rest and enjoy the lovely sounds of nature.  This is similar to stopping to smell the roses.  We look at the beauty around us and it gives us rest. Don't think about your worries - just stop to enjoy the beautiful vision outdoors.

3. To stop the whirlwind of the stress around us, consider how many people try to get away from it all by taking a vacation. They get away from the telephone, the stress of the office, and the city traffic.  We can do this (to a degree) in our minds.  We can think about walking along a bubbling brook, seeing and hearing the rushing water as it goes along the rocks and land.  Or we can find literal ways of resting our minds. This can be as easy at taking the stairs rather than the elevator when in an office building. We can enjoy the walk across the parking lot to get to the grocery store.  These extra steps bring quiet and rest to our minds.

4. Minimize the amount of news you are exposed to.  We ought to guard the quiet of our minds, much like we guard the peace of little children.  We do not need to know everything.  Our children need not worry about the troubles in life.  Quiet news and peaceful happenings bring cheer. Let us bring cheer to our homes and not spread distressing troubles.

5. Don't be in a rush.  It is not healthy to multitask and always be in a flurry of activity.  This keeps us too busy to live!   When little troubles come, our nerves will not be able to handle anything else if we are too busy.  Live a quiet, steady, peaceful life, and you will be ready to calmly face what comes, with the help of the dear Lord (who is with us through it all). 

6. Learn to sing the old time hymns, such as "Amazing Grace." Oh, how much we need the old paths of joyful worship from the heart.  When we sing hymns, from the heart, we are comforted and blessed with a quiet sense of joy.

7. Find ways to get along with those in your household. Be a peacemaker.  Remember the human frailty of us all. Practice patience and understanding.  Give them a gracious love that bears childish days and difficult moods.  My favorite hymn, in these moments, is "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus."  It goes on to say, "And the things of earth will go strangely dim. In the light of his glory and grace."  This is precious peace!

8. Each time you walk in the door, quietly say these sweet words, "Peace be upon this house." 

May our homes be little lighthouses of godliness and joy.  One of the greatest missions of a homemaker is to have peace in her home.

Blessings

Mrs. White

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*   1 - Mark 14:26           2 - John 20:19   

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 From the Archives -

Be happy, even through tears, - Domestic Happiness. 

What many of us crave - An Ordinary Life at Home.  

Financial reality - Retirement Planning for the Poor. 

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