This week, as I was walking along 224th, I saw a father screaming at his young daughter. As I looked at her face - which so clearly revealed her hurt and fear - I felt such sadness for her and I had the desire to rescue her, but I knew I couldn't. I realized that my sensitivity to her situation was heightened because of the recent horrific terrorist acts in Russia.

I felt the tears return as I thought about her and the innocent children in Russia. As the horror of it all and my emotions began to overwhelm me, I remembered Jesus' words to his disciples "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."

Once again I was reminded of the peace that is available to us through Jesus Christ. That promise of peace is the same today as it was then. Jesus left us perfect peace which is there for us at anytime, despite our circumstances and struggles.

There is no better example of that than the story of Phillip Bliss who composed the well-known hymn, It is Well With My Soul. His wife and children were crossing the Atlantic by ship and because of a storm, the ship capsized and all the passengers perished. In the midst of his anguish and grief, Bliss wrote, as the first verse, "When peace like a river attendeth my way; when sorrows like sea-billows roll; whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, 'It is well, it is well, with my soul.'"

Many of us have also known people who rose above incredible hardship and pain with such inward strength and peace because they kept their minds focused on God through prayer and His Word. It was as though just being near them strengthened our belief and faith that whatever problems may come our w ay, we too could overcome them because of God's peace.

The Bible tells us to "not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

As I walked past the father and his daughter, I prayed for God's peace and love to touch them. I thought of the words of a Grade 4 student who, when asked to write about peace, wrote: "If the world is to become a peaceful place, we must all start out with inner peace. Then, we would be able to share it with others. The words to the song really are meaningful. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me."

Let us allow the Lord to change us because of what occurred in Russia. Let us think of our children - all children - and pray for them. Let all of us seek to make our homes and community a better place for children, and to influence them in a way which opens up their lives to God's love and perfect peace.

In order for peace to be in our children, it must begin in us and be reflected in our words and actions. It must be an unfaltering inner peace that comes only from a life committed to God because then and only then will it touch their hearts and overflow into their lives.

"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you." 2 Thessalonians 3:16

Patricia Bryan is the Pastor at His Path Christian Centre.