More and more these days I find myself thinking of the world that my kiddos are growing up in.  I’m sure my parents and generations before them probably have had the same thoughts; that the world is getting worse and worse and that things are not getting better… what kind of a world are my kids and future grandkids going to be facing?  I try not to worry, though, because I know who goes before me, I know who stands behind, the God of angel armies is always by my side, the One who reigns forever, He is a friend of mine… (Thanks Chris Tomlin!) But in the day-to-dayness of life, it is easy to forget.

Our family lives in a sleepy little city in the midwest but recently our town has been dealing with some very troubling issues. Things are happening here that frankly, shocked me.  Things that would be normal in San Francisco or Berkeley or NYC or other faraway parts of the nation are becoming more mainstream.  People who hold these viewpoints have been becoming emboldened lately, and guess what?  They aren’t friendly if you disagree with them.  A discussion ending in an “agreement to disagree” is exceedingly rare, with exchanges more likely to end in name-calling than anything else.  It’s a sad indictment on society.

How can we find peace in such circumstances?  I don’t know about you, but if I dwell on these things too long, it gets stressful, and when Mama gets stressed, we know, that doesn’t do anyone any good at home.  I’ve found a few things that help:

Take a Social Media Break

Now, I’m on Facebook a lot. It’s my main networking tool as far as homeschool events and educational opportunities go. But when things start getting too crazy, I have been known to unfollow, unfollow, unfollow!  No more political pages, no more news sites, no more loud-people.  Really!  Take a breather from all the craziness; take a break from all the screaming.  Step back from it all and take a deep, cleansing breath.

Refocusing on What’s Important

Take a moment to check! What are your priorities?  Do they need rearranging?  Have you gotten caught up in the merry-go-round of work or busy-ness of life in general?  Have you gotten caught up worrying about things that are beyond your control? Re-evaluate what is really important and make sure those things go back at the top of the list.  Push the other distractions aside, they’ll be fine where they are.

Remember Who is Really in Charge

It’s easy for me to forget that not a day goes by that God doesn’t notice what’s going on in my life.  Isn’t that awful?  The God that knows the exact number of hairs on my head, the One who knows when every single little sparrow falls, the Almighty Creator of Heaven & Earth cares about me and you and what’s going on our lives.  That’s HUGE!  How can I possibly forget that?  I don’t know… but I sometimes do.  This really should’ve been my first point on this list, shouldn’t it?

Create a Peaceful Space

I admit, sometimes I poke fun when I hear on the news about people needing their “Safe Spaces” out in the world, but the concept is not something to laugh at.  We all need a place to feel safe, a sanctuary.  A place where we can just let the worries of the day fall away without consequence.  As superficial as it sounds, tidy up a bit.  Put out some candles.  Get some fluffy blankets and pillows.  Do whatever it takes to make a space where you can relax and let the worries of the world disappear.

Let’s face it… the world isn’t going to get any better any time soon.  The Bible tells us that things are definitely going to get worse.  But in the meantime, we can make our homes a sanctuary from the culture wars.  Leave the debates and name-calling to the pundits, politicians and keyboard warriors, and create an inviting environment of peace at home.  Make it a priority to build an environment that facilitates reflection, prayerfulness, and thankfulness instead of stressfulness and strife.

How have you invited peace into your home?  We’d love to hear your tips!