You Can't Put a Price on Peace
Not everything that demands your attention deserves access to your peace.
I've been feeling a little drained lately. Not defeated. Not necessarily discouraged. Just...drained. And sometimes that feeling is information.
It can be a reminder to pay attention, not only to what is taking energy from us, but also to what restores it.
For me, one of those places is my own backyard. When I'm home, I start many mornings walking outside with my dogs. I'm picking up after them, looking at the trees and plants, noticing the birds and the weather, thinking about loved ones, talking to God, praying, reflecting and simply saying, “Thank You.”
Nothing particularly glamorous is happening.
Trust me. I'm carrying a dog-waste bag.
But there is something sacred about those ordinary moments.
They're part of my peace.
Peace Can Look Ordinary
We sometimes imagine peace as something we have to escape somewhere to find.
A vacation.
A spa.
A retreat.
A perfectly quiet room.
And those things can certainly be restorative.
But I've learned that peace can also be woven into the ordinary rhythms of our lives.
For someone, it might be a morning workout.
For someone else, it's coffee before the house wakes up.
Maybe it's prayer, gardening, reading, music, sports, walking or sitting quietly for ten minutes before beginning the day.
What looks mundane to someone else may be part of what keeps you grounded.Don't minimize it.
Jesus demonstrated the importance of intentionally stepping away from constant demands. Luke 5:16 tells us that He “often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”
There was still work to be done.
There were still people who needed Him.
There were still demands waiting.
Yet withdrawal and prayer were part of the rhythm.
That reminds me: Stepping away from the assignment isn't always abandoning it. Sometimes it's stewardship of the person carrying it.
Protecting Your Peace Doesn't Mean Avoiding Everything Difficult
There's another side of this conversation that matters.
We've all heard: Protect your peace.
But protecting our peace shouldn't become an excuse for avoiding accountability, necessary conversations, responsibilities or growth.
Sometimes the conversation we don't want to have eventually produces peace.
Sometimes establishing a boundary is uncomfortable before it becomes freeing.
Sometimes completing the task we've been avoiding quiets the mental noise we've been carrying.
Peace isn't simply the absence of discomfort.
Jesus said in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.”
That kind of peace can't require everyone around us to behave perfectly.
Because if my peace depends on everybody doing what I think they should do...
I'm going to be waiting a long time.
Pay Attention to Access
I've been thinking a lot about access.
Everything we repeatedly allow into our minds, schedules and emotional spaces receives some level of access to us.
Every opinion doesn't need that access.
Every disagreement doesn't.
Every invitation doesn't.
Every problem doesn't.
Every notification certainly doesn't.
And every situation demanding an immediate reaction doesn't automatically deserve one.
That's where discernment matters.
Sometimes when we're overwhelmed, our first question is: How do I become strong enough to handle everything?
Maybe there's another question worth asking: What am I carrying that I can put down?
Some things need to be addressed.
Some things need to be completed.
Some things need boundaries.
And some things simply need to be released.
Wisdom is learning the difference.
Learn What Restores You
We're often very good at identifying what drains us.
The difficult person.
The demanding project.
The stressful situation.
The never-ending to-do list.
But can you identify what replenishes you just as quickly?
Psalm 23 reminds us of a Shepherd who leads beside quiet waters and restores the soul.
Restoration matters.
And maybe we don't always need another strategy, another goal or another thing to accomplish.
Sometimes we need to return to the simple practices that help us hear again.
For me, that might mean another morning in the backyard.
Dogs walking beside me.
Nature doing whatever nature decides to do that morning.
Me talking to God.
Listening.
Noticing.
Being thankful.
And yes, probably carrying that little bag.
Sacred and ordinary can occupy the same space.
Reflect & Correct: What genuinely contributes to my peace? What has been draining me lately? Have I given something more emotional access than it deserves? Am I protecting my peace or avoiding something I genuinely need to address? What simple practice restores me that I've stopped making room for? What am I carrying that God never asked me to carry?
You can't put a price on peace.
Learn what contributes to yours.
Be intentional about protecting it.
When you feel drained, don't automatically ask yourself how you can produce more.
Sometimes ask: What would restore me today?
“Not everything that demands my attention deserves access to my peace.” — Maia Treleaven
Pause. Listen. Restore. Continue. — Maia Treleaven
Reflections from Maia™