Years ago, my family of four relocated to a city 651 miles away to pursue a new career opportunity. While we were homesick for many things, we missed one woman in particular. Her name was Annette, and over time we had all grown very close to her and her family. Our two young daughters felt the loss profoundly. They were familiar with her warm hugs, gentle singing voice, delicious whoopie pies, and calm home.
Illustration by Jeff Gregory
A few hundred miles may not seem that far in today’s era of limitless communication, but hugs don’t transfer through phone calls and texts. So imagine our delight when, a few weeks after the move, Annette sent us an unexpected gift. It was a thin, stretchy cobalt and gray wrap, a loose garment that feels like a gentle hug when you slide your arms into the sleeves and twist the front panels around yourself. As we made our way in a new community where everything was unfamiliar, we took turns resting in her invisible but familiar embrace.
In John 14:27, Jesus revealed the gift He planned to leave with the disciples when He ascended back to God: peace. He called it “My peace”—something fundamentally different from what the world offered. This peace would allow the disciples to rest in God’s presence in a new way. While God’s people had experienced His presence in the Old Testament (see Ex. 33:11; Ex. 33:14; Ex. 40:34-36; 1 Kings 8:10-11), Jesus was now offering direct, intimate access to the Father through Himself—peace that wouldn’t depend on temple rituals or priestly intercession but on their relationship with Him.
Jesus’ choice to dwell with people and His love of those in the margins—the poor, the sick, the outcast—proved God’s presence was compassionate and transformative. His life on earth gave people a fuller understanding of the gentle love He offers. I wonder if the disciples looked around and pointed out all the unknown and unfamiliar things they saw happening. Did they understand that Jesus’ peace was enough to withstand the stress and hardships they were about to experience?
After assuring them His peace would remain, Jesus explained that His way of giving was wildly different from the world’s. This parting peace that Jesus left with the disciples (and all believers since) allows us to rest in God’s presence, hearts untroubled and without fear. (See John 14:27.)
There were days and weeks after our move when the homesickness felt overwhelming. We missed our friends. We missed familiarity. We missed the ease of moving about within our beloved community. We also knew we were missing out on important, life-changing events because we were here, not there. But those were the moments when we wrapped ourselves in Annette’s gift. She loved us and hadn’t forgotten about us, and neither had God. Her present unexpectedly reminded us of the overwhelming peace God offers.
Peace is one of those somewhat abstract aspects of God that are hard to define. We know when we feel peace (and when we don’t). If the disciples, who would ultimately face persecution and martyrdom, found peace in the presence of Jesus, we can obviously do the same. Resting in His peace is neither a vacation from our worries and struggles nor an absence of hardships. It doesn’t mean we have to ignore what’s going on in the world. Rather, we experience peace while walking through worries; we experience it in the midst of difficulties. We can rest in God’s presence, acknowledging our troubles to Him and then leaving each one in His hands to manage.
My girls and I took turns comforting ourselves in Annette’s wrap for months. Eventually we’d forget about it for a few weeks and be delighted when we discovered it in the bottom of the library bag or stuffed behind the van seats. This silly wrap was a physical reminder of how much Annette loved us. Even now, 13 years later, the wrap still represents God’s gift of peace and makes us all smile when we see it.
If you’re anything like me, you might at some point find yourself in the very hardest of times, questioning whether God even remembers where you are or knows what’s going on in your life. Rest assured, He does. Our job is to trust Him and remember that His peace shows up in ways both obvious and unlikely. All we have to do is wrap ourselves in it and move forward, confident in His great love.
