Many years ago, Jerry and I were gifted (sweet!) a Bermuda cruise. The image on the front of the brochure showed a woman in a flowing gown with a tuxedoed man, embracing at the ship’s rail as the moon’s light gleamed golden along the sea. It looked like heaven. A newish psychotherapist, struggling with anxiety, I needed a bit of heaven.
But when Jerry and I, dressed in our elegant clothing, gazed at the moonshine on the water one night, I thought, “This is pleasant, but it’s not heaven.”
And yet, in the midst of that trip, I did have a heavenly encounter. After several days of enjoying the beauty of Bermuda’s landscape, I ascended the stairs at the Irish Linen Shop, inhaling the lavender scent, and thought, “I am completely relaxed. I am fully present to this golden moment. I need to fight for this kind of peace.”
I returned from that trip determined to ask more persistently for peace. Over the next few months, I was given grace to trust more fully that He’d called me to the work and would sustain me in it. And my peacefulness and trust in God’s goodness has only increased in the years since.
The bit of heaven wasn’t in the glamour of the Dreamward, Norwegian’s luxurious boat, nor was it in the opals that sparkled in Bermuda’s jewelry stores. Nor in Bermuda’s natural scenery. We didn’t experience rapturous delight as we leaned against the rail that night.
But, God used the beauty of his creation to help relax my anxious heart and motivate fervent prayer. I was given a glimpse of what peace was possible. And encouraged to fight for more.
Let’s keep asking for what we need.
He is a good God who gives good gifts.