John 14:22-31

John 14:22-31
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

 Sometimes, our kids are quiet.  It doesn't happen very often, but every once in a while when one of them isn't singing or screaming or asking questions they will settle down and play quietly and this wonderful sense of peace breaks out in the house.  It's surreal, and I often don't know quite how to properly treasure such a moment.
  Jesus is telling me that such a respite from the noise of a household with small children isn't true peace.  The absence of conflict or the stillness of a moment isn't the kind of peace God brings -- God's peace is something more, something greater.  True shalom isn't merely the absence of something, but it's the presence of God that brings wholeness to the soul.  God's peace is lasting, eternal and leaves us completely at rest, body and soul.  It isn't something the world can provide, but it's something we must receive from God.
  So we should enjoy the moments of peace here on earth, but let us remember that they are only signposts that point the way towards the kingdom and peace that God alone can bring.