Journey With Christ, Through Disruptions, to Peace
“Whatever you do, do from the heart, as for the Lord and not for others” (Colossians 3:23).
Peace typically eludes me, in both my personal and professional life. Our Italian home is lively, loud, and last-minute, and we barely get anywhere on time. On a daily basis, I don’t seem to carve out enough minutes to feel like I spent quality one-on-one time with my toddler. I check emails and social media and order Christmas gifts while I nurse my baby. I buzz through the highest-priority to-dos for our company when I have a few hours of childcare. I text clients for needed information as I walk around the house. And I won’t even describe the action-packed (read: stress-induced) evenings at our house, between the kids and the new baby, the pets and the business, the broken oven and the endless dishes. Days are long and weeks fly by.
Life has become so fast, and simple needs have become so time-consuming, that it can feel like there’s never enough, while there’s just too much: There’s not enough time, money, or brain space. And there’s too much confusion and problems—and too many options.
We have all the apps and APIs, all the counselors and conveniences. But for everything we have available, I think peace might just be the thing that is escaping us.
The Disruption of Peace
Unrest and a lack of peace can take many forms. In many, if not most, of the times that I feel frustrated or inadequate, it’s because I’m trying to do too many things at once or take on too much. I’m left feeling frazzled and like I can’t execute anything to my ideals and standards.
Well, no kidding. I’m compiling an email marketing campaign on my phone, trying to burp a baby, yelling warnings to a toddler that he’s going to fall on his head if he doesn’t get off the cube organizer, and checking the clock to see how many more minutes I have before someone stops for an order pickup. All my good intentions of putting my heart into my work and doing a job well don’t negate the fact that I wasn’t actually present to any of the people in front of me.
This multitasking doesn’t foster peace or godliness. It breeds short fuses and sub-par deliveries. I get short with everyone and everything.
As Catholics, we’re invited to draw closer and closer to Christ, because He is always there, at the gates, waiting for us. Our Prince of Peace calmly and gently encourages us toward continual growth and deeper peace. The journey to His Heart is a journey outside of ourselves and away from our troubles. It looks nothing like the chaos swirling around in our lives (and in our world).
Peace on Our Hearts
What has been on your heart lately?
In the times when I feel like I’m failing personally, professionally, financially, familially, and spiritually, I feel Christ inviting me to greater peace—to know that who I am, the season I’m in, and what I can do is enough. If I can only finish two loads of laundry today, it’s enough. If I can only make sandwiches for dinner tonight, tomorrow is a new opportunity. If I can only read through some of my emails and schedule out one social post, it will be OK.
What’s important is interior peace and our journey toward Christ—knowing that He can and will take care of the rest. There will always be stressors threatening to disrupt our joy, but today’s challenges will look much different in time. The sooner we learn to be at peace with what we can (and cannot) do and to turn toward Him, always and in all things, the better.
What Disrupts Your Peace?
Is it feeling inadequate?
Know that, if you put your heart into it and do your best, it is enough. Trust that God will multiply your efforts. Work to overcome perfectionism. St. Zélie can be a great influence in hard work and surrender.
Is it feeling inefficient?
Despite the fact that my business is in the industry of slow food, I still hold close the desire to be efficient and work quickly. Yet there is beauty and grace in inefficiency, a quiet reminder that some of the most precious and treasured things take time.
Is it worry?
I love this video from Father Columba Jordan of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal on how to beat worry and live peacefully. He says the Surrender Novena prayer—“Oh Jesus, I surrender myself to you. Take care of everything”—can be powerful in redirecting our trust away from ourselves and toward Christ.
Is it the hyper-consumerism of the holiday season?
If you feel yourself getting caught up in emotions, wanting all the pretty, glittering things of the season, remember that this stuff gives us fleeting joy. It’s much more meaningful to spend time and money on making memories that your family will remember down the road.
Especially during Advent, we remember that Christ is always near to us. He’s in our daily struggles and our troubled thoughts, waiting to be given our to-do lists and our worries, so that He can transform them into something beautiful—and to give us peace and joy in a deeper way than we ever thought possible.
Laura Pugliano is co-founder of Ciccio's Olives, an award-winning extra virgin olive oil produced by her in-laws in Calabria, Italy. She also launched Sprezza Creative Co, where she crafts elegant content for B2B businesses. Laura is a wife, mother, and an alumna of Franciscan University of Steubenville. Join her on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.