Often times we seek peace when have been hurt.   Perhaps it is something simple like a mean word overheard, or perhaps it is a deep and cutting betrayal.  Regardless of how big or small the injury has been perceived to be, their is damage to our spirit, and we seek to make it whole again.

Injuries can happen so terribly fast, sometimes it only takes one word to destroy who we thought we were.  The work of destruction is quick.

We have all watched this play out in a very physical way.  The World Trade Centers were built over a period of 5-7 years, costing millions of dollars and requiring the work of tens of thousands of people to complete.  While planning of the attack that took those buildings down likely took a while, once the attack commenced, both buildings were totally destroyed in just a few hours.

The work of destruction is quick.

The work of peace, is not.

It has been 16 years since the attack on the World Trade Center, and I can assure you that the world has not fully healed in that time.  In fact, one could argue that the world is in a worse place than before those attacks.  Wars rage around the world, many started as a direct result of this destructive act.  Other conflicts grew out of those original conflicts, and spreading like a grass fire, hot and fast, destruction has spread across the world.

The work of destruction is quick.

The work of peace, is not.

Those buildings crumbled in hours into millions of pieces.  Now, we who seek peace are left picking them up, one at a time.  I believe that peace comes in pieces.  A small chunk at a time.  When someone hurts me, while I may have already forgiven them, the process of rebuilding the relationship is one of small steps.

So if you have found yourself in a place of brokenness and hurting, and you’ve forgiven those around you, but you still don’t feel restored, take heart.  Peace comes in pieces, and while it is a lengthy process, the end results are worth the wait.

What small action can you take to restore peacefulness in one area of your life?

Who can you forgive today?

What wrong can you refuse to remember, today?

What unnecessary burden can you lay down today, transferring it to the able arms of Christ?

What piece of peace will you pick up today?

Be sure to check out the other people on the journey with me at 254peace.org, or on our Facebook page.  There are some awesome people participating this year, and they all have something important to say.