My Peace I Give to You

October 28, 2021 by  
Filed under Christian Life, Family Focus

By Anna Cannard –

I was brand new to town. Two thousand miles from home. On my own. I had lived in Tulsa for less than a month when I met little “Sandra.” In the midst of missing my days as an intern at the Child Welfare Department, I learned my school did weekly visits to a local children’s shelter. It sounded like the perfect fit.

When I went into the building, the first person I saw was a little blond boy, crying for his mommy. The staff told me he was very upset over being removed from his abusive home, and would benefit from being held by a woman. I spent most of my evening with the boy, contentedly snuggled in my arms.

Throughout the evening, it was hard not to notice the sound of an infant crying non-stop across the room. After two hours, the frustration was obvious on the staff’s faces. It was then I remembered my nickname back home—Baby Magic—for my skill in making babies happy.

I handed the boy to someone else and asked for a turn holding baby Sandra. The staff gladly handed her to me, and Sandra continued to cry loudly. I was told she was born addicted to drugs and almost did not survive. After three months in ICU, she was released into foster care. She would not eat and was restless with crying. They decided if she did not eat within the next few hours, she would be sent back to the hospital, but they were hoping that would not have to happen.

That moment I said a quiet prayer, “Lord, let her know she is safe. Give her Your peace.” Within seconds, the infant was asleep. Twenty minutes went by with her peacefully asleep in my arms when I was handed a bottle. “Maybe you can get her to eat,” a staff member suggested.

Ten minutes later, there was a circle of staff surrounding me, admiring the pink peaceful baby girl. “This is the first time she’s been quiet since getting here,” a woman said. The bottle of formula was now empty. “That’s the most she’s eaten, also.”

It was nearing the end of my time there that night, and I was asked to feed her again. People thought I must have some special ability to work with babies, but I knew the secret; it was not me but Christ working through me.

John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

I challenge you, as Christians, to walk with the peace of God. He has given it to you to change your world. It is rare; it can only be given to you by God, and through you, wherever you go, you may be His gift to the world.

About Anna Cannard

Aspiring novelist, who finds new adventures everyday. Born in California, raised in Oregon, just now starting a new adventure of college life in Oklahoma. Simple goal in life; to leave every single person better off for meeting me.
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