Keep the Peace

The two sisters kept their squabbling out of their mother’s room—but as soon as they were out of range, they went for the jugular. Disagreement over their mother’s health-care situation was only one more brick in a well-developed wall of dissension that went beyond the mom’s circumstance.

Jenna, the evening-shift nurse, tried to stay in the background, but there was no way to avoid the family struggle. With the sisters individually “confiding” to her (griping, really), it was impossible to remain uninvolved. In this case, Jenna knew she was to be not just a nurse—but a vessel of peace in a highly charged atmosphere. Her prayers each morning were for specific words or actions to diffuse the turmoil and restore God’s peace and presence that all involved so desperately needed.

You, too, were placed where you are for a specific purpose—perhaps to be a channel of peace and unity for those you care about. It’s a high calling. Aging and health issues, the budget, a disruption of normal life, you name it they can all create a crushing strain on members of a family. Your peace-giving efforts can be the balm that helps to bring healing both to the patient and to others involved in the care.