Read: John 14:25-27 “I’m telling you these things while I’m still living with you. The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught.
One of my favorite activities with my grandchildren is working on
jigsaw puzzles. Sometimes we open a box and put together a puzzle, only to discover that that a piece or two is missing. We then go to great lengths, searching to find the missing piece, but sometimes we have to admit defeat. The piece is simply gone. We end by staring at the incomplete picture, grieving over the empty place, the missing piece, and our inability to complete the puzzle.
In some ways our souls are like jigsaw puzzles. We are made up of
pieces of genetics and pieces of experience. But when we take time to examine ourselves, we may discover that we are incomplete, that there is something missing in our hearts or souls. This empty place or missing piece grieves and troubles us; it may even cause us fear. All too often, we rush about, trying to find something—anything—to fill it. But new experiences, wisdom, excesses, and worry seldom fill the hole, even though they may temporarily cover it or distract us from our incompleteness.
One day, when Jesus speaks to his disciples (who are often troubled and afraid,) he offers them peace, his peace that is different from the world’s peace. The peace that Jesus offers is shalom. This Hebrew word means wholeness and completeness. Jesus offers to the disciples—and to all who follow him—shalom, or the peace of wholeness and completeness. Jesus is the missing piece. Jesus fills the hole in our hearts perfectly. So, when Jesus is offering his peace, we become whole and complete persons in Christ.
When we are complete, our distress and discontent subsides like the waves of a storm, and we do not let our hearts become troubled and afraid.
Prayer: Precious Lord, thank you for coming into our hearts, completing us with your perfect peace. With your presence we do not need to be troubled or afraid. Amen.[Andy Brock, Greenwood, Virginia]
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Society of St. Andrew
Gleaning America's Fields
Feeding America's Hungry
3383 Sweet Hollow Rd.
Big Island, Virginia 24526 United States
800-333-4597
Church@EndHunger.org
More information about the Society of St. Andrew and its hunger-relief programs - Gleaning Network, Potato & Produce Project, Harvest of Hope and Hunger Relief Advocate Initiative - is available online at EndHunger.org.
Feed your spiritual hunger during the weeks leading up to Christmas with these daily devotions from Society of St. Andrew, offering scripture readings, meditations, and prayers focusing on the coming birth of Jesus, the “Prince of Peace.”
And as you feed your spiritual hunger, we invite you to give generously to feed the physical hunger of nearly 50 million low-income Americans through the gleaning and food distribution ministries of Society of St. Andrew.
Through your faithful giving, as you are fed, so will our hungry brothers and sisters be fed. Every dollar you share will put 50 servings of healthy, nourishing food on their plates this winter.
May God’s light shine brightly through you in this holy season.
From: sosapr@endhunger.org
3383 Sweet Hollow Rd.
Big Island, Virginia 24526 United States
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