As I continued my quest for the perfect gifts, throngs of shoppers clogged the aisles, and I grew impatient trying to pass everyone who wasn’t in as much of a hurry as I was. Couldn’t they speed up their pace? As a single working mom, I only had evenings and weekends to shop.

Then as I fumed over a slow-moving elderly woman and her younger companion, the Lord spoke to me. Why are you always in such a hurry? I give you twenty-four hours in each day, just like I give everyone else. Trust Me with your schedule. I can meet your needs.

Suddenly I felt like the little girl on the carousel that was spinning too fast to get off. Between working full-time, being a single mom, and trying to hold everything together, I was exhausted. A typical dinner consisted of burgers and fries we wolfed down on the way home from sports practices at night. I realized that my life was out of control, and I knew the only solution was to submit to the Lord and follow His lead.

The pace of life today can be hectic for all of us, and sometimes it gets out of balance. But Jesus wants us to have peace. In John 14:27, He said, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful.”