Peace is a valuable commodity these days, particularly for families seeking a solution for the future of kids with special needs. As a mom of three awesome autistic adults, I am familiar with my children’s struggles and concerns as well as my own – we are all absolutely aware this crazy beautiful world can also be a scary place, and that we parents will not always be available to help our young adults navigate life. Since the world daily becomes more anxiety-producing and our concerns for our beloved children continue, peace is rarely to be found in our circumstances. We must carry our peace within. So how do we do that?
Clearly, acquiring peace is not something to be achieved once, lasting forever. Even those with deep faith must discipline hearts and minds to maintain an inner sense of calm and confidence. Peace is a day to day journey for all of us. I offer these ideas from my position as a Christ-follower, but there are still encouraging options here even if you are not a person of faith. Young children and adults can all learn these things, and numbers 3 and 4 may already come quite naturally to quite a few!
1. Be thankful as soon as you wake in the morning and carry gratitude in your heart throughout the day. Focus on positives and blessings in your life instead of challenges and irritations. Thank God for all He has done for you.
2. Offer your worries to God and remind yourself that He is in charge. This does not mean we stop working toward goals and seeking solutions, but the confidence that He loves us and knows the future helps.
3. Laugh. Don’t let your stress kill your sense of humor! This happens to me on occasion, and lack of humor is exhausting! Find moments, events, and opportunities to laugh. (As I write this article, our family is getting ready to head out to visit an ice cream museum. Will we laugh there? Pretty sure that’s a Yes!)
4. Sing and dance however and whenever you can. In the kitchen, in the car – wherever! I don’t care if you have two left feet or can’t carry a tune to save your life. Sing and dance, anyway! Keep moving, keep breathing!
5. Deal with what is in front of you, whether that is a child having difficulty, dinner preparation, or making plans for the future. Take your thoughts captive as much as you can and don’t let them drift from what is in front of you. Especially avoid procrastinating! I struggle with procrastination and I can promise you that delaying what must be done – especially unpleasant tasks – just increases stress and postpones peace.
6. At the end of the day, remember that you are beloved of God and deserve rest. We women, especially, seem to have a difficult time shutting off our brains to sleep, so I encourage you to read a calming book, or once again focus your mind on your blessings, or let your mind dwell on happy moments and joyful events. I often talk to God and sometimes create visions of peace in my head to help me sleep.
7. Finally, know that you are just as valuable as those you love and serve – so take of yourself! Never count yourself as less. You are unconditionally loved and precious in the eyes of the Creator, so wear that knowledge as a badge to help you walk your days in confidence and peace.
A last word for Bible readers: Two of my favorite anti-anxiety Bible passages are Matthew 6:25-34 (read it here) and Philippians, Chapter 4 (here). In Philippians, Paul wrote words of hope and peace to the church at Philippi while in jail under threat of execution for preaching about Christ. He should have been totally stressed out! And yet, he wasn’t –
“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
by Karen Koiner