Finding Peace when Life is like Monsoon!

Monsoon season.  During the summer months of July and August, northern India often gets hit with lots of rain.  Although very different than monsoons in tropical locations, we still have massive flooding mainly due to poorly constructed roads and drainage systems.  What might take you 30 minutes during "normal" weather, could take a whole day or may even have to be postponed to another time.  Laundry never dries on the clothes racks, markets are often out of basic food items, and the flowing sweat remains constant. 

Our second discussion day focused on how to find peace when life circumstances make you feel like you are living in Monsoon season: difficult and out of control!  Many ladies returned, they were just as enthusiastic to share their thoughts, and again personal stories were presented.  One team member shared her experience in finding peace during very difficult times with her son's severe disabilities.  She spoke with compassion, passion and authority.  Another team member shared how she too finds peace in just normal hardships in being wife and mom of 4.  She showed a prayer journal she had kept since 2007 and read 2 entries that addressed peace.  Both stories were VERY moving!



The talks ended with 4 ladies winning a trip to Mocha and Conversations, a fun coffee place in our city, to have free tea/coffee/milkshake with me.  Another lady won a prayer journal that was given away by our team member who shared before regarding peace.

So many touching moment occurred.  One team member in particular was used to pray with 3 different friends on 3 separate occasions due to a lack of peace in their lives.  One of my dearest friends, who is not a touchy person nor that emotional, expressed such joy and feeling from our team member's story.  She then told me that she doesn't know what is happening to her, but something is changing inside for the last 4 months.  She is becoming less critical and instead, more thankful.  (I recall 4 months ago having dinner with her family, Sawyer loving on her, and us getting to share much life with them).  The friend who won the prayer journal was a new friend, a published author and artist, and shared that she had been praying for awhile about starting a new journal.  And here...she won a journal!!

Peace.  Not to take away pain or difficulty.  Peace.  To remove all hopelessness and fear!!  It was truly a day of peace and a topic I only hope is repeated in my many conversations to come!