Proverbs 12:20

Wandering Through the Bible

July 1 near Lenoir

Joy fills hearts that are planning peace. Proverbs 12:20

Planning peace. Hmn. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think? I for one am a big planner. Often lists are found where I have come up with some great idea or when I need to get organized. Grocery shopping is another example of my planning action (although far too often I have put all this time into making the sheet then get to the store and realize I left it at home).

So, how does one go about planning peace? It definitely sounds like something worth looking ahead to. Does it imply though that there may be trouble on the horizon? Think about the holidays and how stressful they can be. What about vacations or just ordinary visits to relatives homes? I remember how, when I was a kid, almost every weekend consisted of either going to my grandmother's, aunt's house, or having their families come to our place. Going was the easy part, for one could always enjoy self more since the cooking, cleaning, and entertaining were up to the other party. But when it was our turn, oh the things that had to be done! What would be a meal that most would enjoy? Was there a good alternative or enough vegetables that each would be pleased in some way? Dessert? Hmn. That wasn't usually too bad of a thing to satisfy each with. Mashed potatoes? Oh, this could be a struggle. Uncle Horace didn't like milk so we couldn't use it when the time came to smush those spuds.

Then there was the cleaning. My parents ran a pretty tight ship so truthfully, the house wasn't too much of a mess at any given point. As a whole, that is. My sisters and I rotated chores weekly. One of us would be in charge of dishes, another dusting, and the other bathrooms. Oh, how I hated to do bathrooms! But the dusting? It wasn't so bad, as long as dear ol' dad wasn't in one of his moods, one of his "white glove" moods. I was always vertically challenged so there were some spots I couldn't quite get to without some assistance. If one of these spots had been missed on a visitation day, the consequences weren't always pretty.

The point I'm trying to make is that when something big is coming up, usually one prepares for it. The supplies are gathered. The time is arranged for each thing to fall into place. You can't prepare a good, hot meal for a crowd and expect it to stay warm if you put it into the oven too far in advance. You can't plan a weekend party and expect the balloons to stay perky when they have been blown up on Tuesday. One has to think of timing. Also, one has to plan for the unexpected and perhaps have a backup plan in place to avoid disaster. Think of an outdoor wedding, for instance. All of that hard work can be washed away with a summer shower or winter snow.

Planning peace. I like to be peaceful. Confrontation is not something I enjoy. Being around hate goats is not my choice of a good time. Stress is something I try to avoid. So, in order to do this, I must plan. Just like I appreciate my socks coordinating with my outfit, I want my demeanor to match my actions. If I put that smile in place and guard my tongue, I can walk into these situations that have the propensity to upset me with confidence that I am mentally prepared to handle those fiery darts that might be thrown at me. When I know I am going to be around folks that have some tensions between them and that at some point of the game I am going to be thrust into the middle of them, if I have sown some seeds of peace first then I may be able to prevent an argument from breaking forth. For instance, if I know Mary Jane has been mad at Linda Lou for ages because she never keeps her kids in check, I can be making nice comments about how well the little darlings have been the past few days/weeks/months and plant the idea that there has been a positive change in their behaviours. That way, MJ is looking for good rather than assuming bad and that folks never change. We tend to find what we are looking for so why not plan to assist others in being on the lookout for good rather than bad?

Planning peace. If I want a quiet evening at home with my hubby, it's best that I take care of my chores, my relationships, and my attitude before he walks in the door. There's no telling what kind of day he has had so my job, my duty is for him to come home to a peaceful, stress free environment, one where he can relax, unwind, and give me the attention I have been missing while he was away. If I am on the phone, yacking away with a friend instead of ready to greet him with a hug and a kiss, giving him all of my attention, then this does not set the stage for a calm evening. So, I try to plan ahead when to make—and take—those phone calls. In our modern world of technology, it's easy to see who is on the other end of that phone before picking it up. Plus, there is voice mail so the conversation can be put on hold, planned for a later time, when the needs of that person can be more fully addressed.

In conclusion, if I want my life to be simplified, I am going to have to make plans. Get that paper out, jot down my priorities, and most importantly, don't lose the list. Check the items off once completed that are going to damage my calm. Some things cannot be avoided forever so it may be best to think when is the best time for all concerned parties for them to be addressed. Monday mornings are not the best for trying to deal with the cable company, the creditors, and folks who are barraged with calls because they put things off over the weekend. So, instead, I choose days, late afternoons on a Tuesday or Wednesday for these types of conversing. Grocery shopping at Walmart around 2:30 when the parents have picked their kids up from school? Oh no no no! And Friday night date night? Nope. I choose to go to the early movie on Saturday and get to the restaurant before 5 when possible. Ooh, here's another: Sunday morning church time. Getting up a few extra minutes early so that I can be ready and get there to get a good parking spot sure does keep my mind freer than when I have to rush in, find a seat, and possibly go in with a bad attitude because I hadn't counted on being so out of breath from scurrying about and thus making my singing songs of worship sound more like cries of pain.

Planning peace. Kind of like what should I wear today. Consider where you are going. How much time do you need to get there? Do you have all of your things/materials/notes? Attitude in check? Smile on? Purse well-stocked for minor emergencies? We can be prepared for life.

I feel like I have thrown this all together and in a sense I have. I may edit this later because I like the idea of dressing for success as an analogy for planning for peace. Tell you what: the grandsons will be here soon for me to watch. Why don't you, my avid readers, tell me how you prepare for peace and share your great ideas with me? Then I can just relax and sit back while you do the work. Now that's a great plan!