Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26:3, KJV 

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. Proverbs 17:22, KJV 

Ever had one of those days that starts off wrong and just keeps getting worse? On these days, we have two choices: we can let frustration take over, break our spirit, and spread it to everyone around us, or we can pause, pray, and choose peace. 

Earlier this year, I had one of those days. It was a Monday, and I had planned to leave for school a little later than usual. When I pulled out of my driveway, I saw a garbage truck stuck in the middle of the road with its back tires in a ditch and its bumper flat on the road, blocking all through traffic. 

The two men working the truck looked worried and apologetic. One offered to guide me through the neighbor’s grass, but that wasn’t a good option. So I backed down the road and went home, praying the whole time for a solution. I called my principal and said, “Fun fact, I can’t get to school because a garbage truck is blocking the road. Could someone pick me up at the fire station?” (School is only a mile away, and the fire station is just up the road from my house.) 

He laughed and said he’d come himself. And within ten minutes, we were on our way to school. 

When I arrived, another teacher was covering my class, and we shared a good laugh about it. My students asked if I was okay, and one even wondered how I could be so calm. I told them I had two choices: I could let frustration ruin my day, and maybe theirs, or I could stay positive and keep going.

Just because I had a rough morning didn’t mean everyone else had to. That day, I chose to walk in the Spirit, not in the flesh—to respond with grace, not irritation. And as I kept my mind on Him, peace followed. My principal noticed it. My students noticed it. And most importantly, I felt it—the steady calm that only comes from trusting God. 

Peace isn’t found in perfect days, but in perfect trust. 

Dear gracious and loving Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word that tells me that You will keep me in perfect peace because I trust in You. Help us to keep our minds fixed on You, no matter what the day brings. Amen.

Copyright Tonie Weddle.

Tonie is a Christian Educators member and a language arts teacher in Kentucky.