This poster is prominently displayed in the sitting area of my room. I joke that it is one of my mantras to say over and over when I become overwhelmed with all that is going on. (Ex - when I look at my ever growing pile of index cards with Hebrew vocabulary...)
In thinking about this phrase, I was wondering what about it I like. Maybe it's simplicity speaks to me in the complexity of my days. Maybe I like how it says, "Keep On" in the message. Sometimes just seeing words such as "calm" can slow one down and really initiate a feeling of calm.
This poster was designed by the Ministry of Information in 1939 along with two others and was to be displayed around England during WWII in order to boost morale of the people during times of peril. It has recently been showing up just about everywhere one looks, and in modified forms:
I think I like most in the original form, as it seems to boost my morale. It also reminds me of a verse that gives me the same sense of calm:
That is a powerful message for me; Christ giving me His peace. He even goes so far to remind that he doesn't give as the world does - Christ is no Indian Giver. Christ freely and lovingly gives comfort to troubled hearts; what a gift. My prayer is I remember that when I look at my little poster.
Abba Father, you give us rest when we are weary. You offer to take our burdens from us. Help us to realize the grace and peace we find in you. I thank you for this world, this creation, this life you have given and pray I treat it and all it encompasses with the love and kindness it deserves.
JW would point out that one of the most often repeated themes in Scripture is "Do not be afraid."
ReplyDeleteGod's intent that we live life free of fear runs deep: thematically it starts in the scriptures the first time we are separated from God during the creation story, and it repeats over and over, all the way through the apocalyptic works. I don't think it's coincidental that the 'do not be afraid' theme is at its densest and most-repeated just before and as Jesus appears on the scene.
As a guy who over-thinks everything and constantly worries about worst-case scenarios, it's very powerful for me to remember that a big part of the message of the gospel is one of liberation from fear.