Last week I did the unthinkable. I drove a fifteen passenger van from New Hampshire to Pennsylvania to Washington DC, a trailer towing behind, and nine teenage girls joyfully shouting each mile of the journey. Driving in high pressure situations is, in a word, nightmarish to me. I had been dreading this journey for weeks. I am, naturally speaking, unable to cope with high pressure driving.

    We all get stressed out by the troubles of life, whether it be a difficult relationship, or a hard week at work, or maybe bills hanging like a weight over your head. All of us have things that make life exhausting throughout the week. None of us lives a stress-less life.

    Yet much of our stress pales in comparison to what many people suffered throughout the whole of Church history. I recently read Foxe’s Book of Martyrs which details the lives of martyrs throughout the Roman Empire, and beyond. For years believers in Christ were maimed, flogged, crucified, burned at the stake, and much more. They were pressed on all sides, they were abused and taken advantage of. The descriptions were, in some cases, unreadable.

    But one surprising theme pervaded through it all. Through all their pain and misery I found that those who suffered for Christ had supernatural peace. I saw that despite their circumstances they remained at peace in the Lord. In Him they found a peace that surpassed all understanding.

    On a much much smaller scale I experienced the same thing while driving that beast of a vehicle. Many people prayed for me, and I prayed much. And God gave me peace through all the miles.

    In Jesus, no matter what we are going through, we can have peace. Whether your world is turned upside down by tragedy, or your nerves are just shot from stress, we can all go to the Source and find what we need. On this day (and every day) we can turn to Him and receive peace.

    And the best part is this: He is faithful. He will answer and give His children help and peace in all things.