From the book ‘The Gift of the Atonement’ Janet Lee shares:
Christ healed bodies, minds, and souls. But after he healed the lepers, were they free from other struggles? After he restored sight to the blind were they free from fear? Were the five thousand Christ fed ever hungry again? Was the sea calmed by Christ’s hands stirred by future storms? Yes. As Helaman warned his children, the winds will continue to blow (see Helaman 5:12).
I often think of the tender last moments Christ shared with his apostles. Concerned, Christ tells his disciples that the time has come for him to leave. Full of heartache, the apostles turn to their Lord, who senses their sorrow. He replies, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you” (John 16:7). If we expect mountains to move, seas to part, thunder to cease, and blinding light to point the way, we will miss the Savior’s offering, his gift of comfort and peace. Peace comes as we truly rely on the Holy Ghost. . . .
The Lord promises safety and protection. He offers to all the gift of peace. Sometimes peace comes dramatically, like the calming of a raging sea (see Mark 4:39). Most or the time however peace comes quietly as a subtle feeling of wellness, a renewed sense of God’s omnipotent power, and the still, small voice whispering God’s messages; words of comfort, thoughts of hope, feelings of strength, and a reassurance of love—the language of peace. . .
The Lord can speak peace to our minds wherever we are. We don’t have to be in a temple or on a beautiful beach. Sometimes we are in the midst of trials and strife. It is the gift of peace that brings joy, surety, and solace—the kind of peace that can never be taken away. Piece by piece throughout our lifetime, we will long to return to the presence of the Prince of Peace. Our pieces of peace will fit together like a puzzle as our life takes shape after the pattern of our Savior. Because we are mortal, at times we will be unable to find the peace that is our gift, but our Savior’s love can lift us soaring to new heights. In three short lines, Victor Hugo sings my theme song of this past year:
Be like the bird who, halting in [her] flight on a limb too slight Feels it give way beneath [her], Yet sings, knowing she hath wings. . . .
The boughs beneath us break sometimes. We will not fall. We have wings of truth, wings of faith, wings of glory—gifts of peace from our Savior, Master and King. ~Janet Lee The Gift of the Atonement (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2002), 131-2
