One thing I’ve learnt by raising a child with special needs is that when a child hovering on the edge of their threshold they needs us. They can’t regulate by themselves. They regulate through our calm.
Our bodies are powerful signals. When we slow our breath, lower our voice, and steady our presence, we’re telling them: “You’re safe now.” They borrow our calm until they can find their own.
I see this with Oscar. When he’s overwhelmed he can’t just “push through.” But if I stay close, quietly beside, he can settle. My calm steadies him until he finds his own rhythm.
This truth about children points us to a greater spiritual reality. Just as our kids borrow calm from us, we live in a world where we often need peace bigger than our own. Life can overwhelms us, and our own strength isn’t enough. But Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you” (John 14:27). Like a child leaning into their parent’s calm, we can lean into Jesus’.
But here’s the good news – unlike our children who can only temporarily “borrow” calm until they’re steady, we don’t have to borrow peace from heaven. The peace Jesus offers us is permanent. Just as Oscar finds steadiness in my nearness, we find peace in Jesus’ nearness. The storms may rage, but His presence is the calm our souls long for. We have the privilege and the joy to lean into Him, to access His peace – always.
May the peace of Christ dwell in your heart. The peace of the Lord be always with you.
Blue Skies & Lollipops 