Peace That Passes Understanding

As a child I learned a song entitled, I’ve Got the Joy.  The special appeal was the motions.  But as I learned it the words went, I’ve got the joy, joy joy, joy down in my heart, up in my head, down in my feet I’ve got the joy, joy, joy joy all over me, Glory to His name.  Following the same pattern, another verse went, I’ve got the peace that passes understanding down in my heart, up in my head, down in my feet. I’ve got the peace that passes understanding all over me.  Glory to His name.  I looked up the words, and this isn’t how it was written, but it is how I learned it.

Now what this all meant, I hadn’t the slightest idea.  I wasn’t sure what joy was, what peace meant, how either could be all over anyone.  Peace that passes understanding was particularly perplexing,…… however, I loved the motions.  And…. life brings the lessons we need.  Sometimes we come to understand as an adult what we thought we learned as a child, and we learn to see it all in a new way.   Now I know what it means, yes I do know.

My personality is such that I welcome a good challenge.  In particular, there’s something about hearing others talk about how something is especially difficult, perhaps even that it isn’t possible.  My attention immediately becomes focused, I know what my response will be.  We’ll see about that.  Step back and pay attention.  Let me take my turn.  Others call it being stubborn, obstinate, hard headed.  I’ll find a way, under, over, around, through if necessary.  If there’s a way I’ll find it.  Never give up.  Quitting is not in my vocabulary.  One of my favorite songs has been, and continues to be “The Impossible Dream”.   I prefer to call it persistence, diligence, perseverance.  Now I know it likely is an area of lingering immaturity, an area of needed growth.  Why else would personal validation be so dependent upon doing what others say is particularly difficult, perhaps even that could never be done….. and  then doing it for that very reason?  But it’s been an approach, my approach, to whatever life has brought my way.  But then………. there comes a time, it’s predictable, there comes a time when life brings something our way that “can’t” be done.  It’s very presence signals defeat……..a foe that can’t be defeated, a wall that’s  insurmountable, a problem without solution…. humanly speaking you can’t get there from here.  Perseverance, persistence, positive attitude, being a person who never gives up….in this case, none of it matters.  Beyond what you’ve ever  attempted, beyond what it is that you’ve ever done… the challenge is too great, the efforts don’t matter.  The only response is despair, dejection, despondence …… defeat…..  Nothing that might be done matters, perhaps the only response is to give up……… and then comes the peace.  It’s a peace that is not of denial… not a fatalistic resignation, not a cognitive drifting from reality.  No, it’s none of these.   Rather it’s a peace…… something that doesn’t fit the circumstance, something contrary to your natural response.  It’s a peace that is beyond your comprehension.  No, it’s not a feeling, no it’s not an elaborate rationalization designed to provide a reason why.  It’s a peace in the midst of a storm…. something you know is not a part of you.

Yesterday as I reflected on some very challenging circumstances I’m facing, I found myself singing that children’s song about joy.  I’m still not sure.. completely, what that means,…….joy…….. but when I reached the 2nd verse, the one about peace,  I finally understood the lines, the ones I sung as a child but never really knew what they meant.  The source of that peace?  It was in a sound, the sound of a voice………the sound of The Voice….. the Words spoken….. I’m not yet finished with you.  Trust Me.

And now I know the what words mean………. a peace that passes understanding.  I know the meaning because I know the peace.

The answer is not, nor has it ever been in the efforts we make, whatever the accomplishments ever have been.  The answer is in hearing The Voice, His Voice.