Having a meltdown moment?
Choose this instead
It’s been a week.
Unexpected changes in my schedule.
Unwanted drama with family members.
Our dog-sitters canceling on us two days before our Thanksgiving trip.
Employees going off the rails.
Scrambling to keep up with packed schedules.
All the things.
You may be thinking… well, Amy, that’s just my average Tuesday.
And I get it. We all have life hit us upside down at times, and navigating the pressures and unpredictability is just part of this whole earthly deal.
But, also — it’s so much more.
We have an enemy, and he’s not subtle. Satan thrives on chaos. He feeds on unrest. He delights in confusion and disorder… the very things Scripture calls the root of every evil work. (James 3:16)
I’d also venture to guess his whole steal, kill, and destroy agenda (John 10:10) keeps him working overtime during the holidays. And no, not because he’s not slinging packages for Amazon Prime.
Because he is vitally aware that the holidays hold a mixed bag of emotions for many of us, and loves to capitalize on our pain. He loves to plant disunity around the Thanksgiving table (usually through that one relative that just can’t help but speak their mind!) and then watch in glee as the fire of strife consumes everyone gathered.
Many of you are nodding your heads as you read this, because let’s face it — like me, you’ve lived through the complicated tapestry of generational dysfunction. You’ve witnessed holidays that were neither merry nor bright, and have clawed yourself from the wreckage of your past pain.
If that’s you, friend, I see you.
But the wisdom from above is always pure, filled with peace, considerate, and teachable. It is filled with love and never displays prejudice or hypocrisy in any form. — James 3:17 (TPT)
Growing up, I couldn’t spell peace, much less live it. I was addicted to chaos because it’s all I knew. If something wasn’t wrong, I wasn’t right. Emotional turmoil was my closest and most familiar companion because I didn’t know a life of peace was even an option.
Then one day, Truth opened a new door for me — one I didn’t even know existed.
I don’t remember the specifics of the scenario, or even who was involved. I just remember drama and strife were happening with people close to me, and somehow I was thrust into the midst of it. The emotional consensus of everyone involved was that if you weren’t upset about it, something was wrong with you.
But in that moment, I just knew.
I could choose Door #1 — Anger, frustration, fear, confusion, strife, and disunity.
Or I could choose Door #2 — Peace.
My defining moment came because I chose Door #2. I put my stake in the ground and decided that pressure was no longer going to define my life; peace was.
Nearly 20 years later, I am still living in the light of that one decision and the hundreds of decisions that have followed. I am fiercely protective of my peace and refuse to return to a life without it.
Does it mean that I don’t have challenges or hair-pulling moments? Clearly, no. This week was a reminder of that.
It just means when life hits, when the stresses and pressures of the holiday season loom, I keep my heart centered and fixed on what really matters.
Am I perfect at this? Yes. I am an absolute angel, aren’t you proud? (Ok, even I couldn’t write that with a straight face)
Nope. Definitely not perfect. Just yesterday, I contemplated giving someone a very large (albeit unfiltered) piece of my mind. (But I didn’t, so there’s that.) So, have I made progress? You bet ya. I wish I could send you a snapshot of Amy 20 years ago… bless her little heart.
Stand on your feet alert, then you’ll always be ready to share the blessings of peace. — Ephesians 6:15 (TPT)
If this Thanksgiving, you will be surrounded by people who bring out the best in you… What. A. Gift. Treasure those relationships.
But if not, remember this: with God, all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26) Jesus lives big in you, so choose Door #2. You may just be the hope someone else needs to choose a life of peace, too.
Rise Reflection
One Intentional Question
Where do I need to intentionally choose Door #2 — peace — instead of letting pressure, emotion, or old patterns dictate my response?
Scriptures to Consider
James 3:16 (NKJV)
“For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.”
John 10:10 (NKJV)
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
James 3:17 (TPT)
“But the wisdom from above is always pure, filled with peace, considerate and teachable. It is filled with love and never displays prejudice or hypocrisy in any form.”
Ephesians 6:15 (TPT)
“Stand on your feet alert, then you’ll always be ready to share the blessings of peace.”
Matthew 19:26 (NKJV)
“But Jesus looked at them and said to them, ‘With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”
Purposeful Prayer
Jesus, thank You for being the Prince of Peace and the One who steadies my heart when everything around me feels chaotic. Open my eyes to every moment where I’ve been choosing pressure over peace, and remind me that I’m not powerless — I get to choose Door #2. Strengthen me to walk in wisdom, stand in peace, and respond with the calm confidence that comes from Your Spirit living inside me. Let my life be evidence that peace is possible, even in the middle of complicated people and complicated moments. Make me a carrier of Your peace everywhere I go. Amen.