“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

JOHN 14:27 (NIV)

Peace was something I searched for, sometimes in the smallest moments. One familiar sight on my drives was crossing the Rock and Crawfish Rivers on I-94. They were unpredictable. During rainy seasons, they would swell beyond their banks, flooding the fields that surrounded them. The water would stretch wide, covering fences, swallowing patches of grass, and creeping toward the road. When the rains stopped, the rivers would slowly pull back into their place, leaving behind dark, rich soil that shimmered in the sunlight. New patches of green would appear where water once sat, and life quietly returned to the land. There was something powerful about that rhythm. I always admired it. Every time I crossed those bridges, I’d find myself glancing over, caught between curiosity and peace. Maybe I wanted to see if a fish would jump, or maybe I was drawn to how calm the river looked, even after all its chaos. It reminded me that life works the same way. There are seasons when everything feels out of control, when problems flood in and you can’t see the edges anymore. It’s messy and unpredictable. The weight of it all can cover your plans, your focus, even your joy. But like the rivers, the chaos doesn’t last forever. The water eventually recedes. The land breathes again. What once looked like destruction becomes fertile ground. Maybe you’re in a flooded season right now, where everything feels submerged and uncertain. It might seem like you’ll never recover from what’s overflowed. But trust this: every flood crests eventually. The same waters that overwhelm you now can be the same ones that bring new life later. Each time I cross those bridges, I’m reminded that peace isn’t found in avoiding the flood. It’s found in knowing that when it rises, it will also fall, and life will grow again where the water once stood.

Peace comes from knowing the flood will recede and life will grow again.

Keep moving forward,

Dr. Key