Peace

Drip by Drip and Drop by Drop

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Love settles swiftly in the heart
Where Christ Jesus comes to reign
While Joy comes bursting like a flood
And Peace begins its reign

But patience keeps me through the night
As she lags behind the rest
And holds my heart through fire and flood
For the moment God knows best

Then drip by drip and drop by drop
When the fiercest storm wind blows
She fills my cup with living hope 
In Jesus overflows


Drip by Drip and Drop by Drop
By Peter Caligiuri
Copyright © 2026
All rights reserved

P.S. This poem written while I am learning patience is dedicated to my former pastor, Dr. Joliam Sampaio. As he and his wife Claudia have given their lives in ministry, and missions, they have modeled patience. Through suffering and even slander, they have maintained both the joy and the meekness of Jesus.

https://www.supplyingseeds.com/

Sitting By The Pond

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Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. Mark 4:39 NKJV

I always loved the poetry of Robert Frost, and as a fellow New Englander, deeply appreciate his use of the small details of its seasons. “Birches, The Mending Wall,” and “The Road Not Taken,” all reflect the scenes from my own childhood. Perhaps, “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening,” is the best of all these. For Frost, that moment on a windy hillside gave him pause to think and inspiration to write of things beyond the snow and chill of the evening. But for me, having worked outdoors for forty winters, I am quite content to settle on a bench by our pond in Florida, to think and pray!

“Lord, I’m just tired” I said as the breeze pushed up tiny ripples on our pond. “You are in control.”

Though no answer came, contentment washed over me as I released the pain and exhaustion from my recent surgery to Him. “God, if this is as far as my road is to be, I’m okay with that Lord.”

As I sat, an Ibis, quietly swooped over the surface of the water and a squirrel raced across the branch of a slowly dying sycamore near my bench. Then His voice came, “You’re not finished yet. There are still miles to go.” Then it was silent again. Perhaps unlike us, God feels no urge to elongate His conversations. Just as after Jesus spoke, “Peace be still.” Perhaps He simply listened to the quiet lapping of waves as the disciples rowed. And in my own heart a peace settled in. I could hear only the rush of wings skimming over the waters of my heart and a still small voice saying, “Just a little further child.”

Peace – Before the Change

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Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites. Judges 6:24 ESV

Before God had helped him defeat the Midianites, and while he and his family were still being attacked and robbed, Gideon built an altar to the Lord. While some of his family and nearly everyone in his town were still worshiping Baal, Gideon named his altar, “The Lord is Peace.” Gideon had peace in the middle of those circumstances, because he had heard from God. Though how Gideon heard was different than us, God has given us an even better way of listening to Him. Everything God wants us to hear is written in between the front and back covers of our Bibles. He has provided for us promises of forgiveness, eternal life and grace, which Gideon could not have known. Of course, in our twenty-first century world we don’t have Midianites raiding our homes and farms, but we do face the same spiritual forces of destruction, false prophets and fear. The good news for us is that just as Gideon discovered God’s peace, in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul writes almost those same words for us:

"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body and be thankful." 
Colossians 3:15 ESV

So, today, before any change in your situation, even if those closest to you don’t’ believe it, remember – Jesus is our Peace – and just as He was with Gideon, He will be with you. Jesus has promised to never leave or forsake us; He has promised to be with us right here as well as in Heaven. So, no matter how things look around you right now, do not fear, because the Lord is our Peace!