Susan and her children near the time this article was written.

Editor’s Note: This month Susan has been very busy with her grandmother ministry, due to the birth of our new grandson, Everett Fitzgerald Jackson, and our subsequent baby sitting of his older sister, Emmeline. We thought you might enjoy this message written from a column in March of 1983 for the first issue of a Christian newspaper we published called the Heartland News. It includes a timely word of encouragement for young mothers…and for the rest of us.

By Susan Shanklin

Writing a column I have always felt would be exciting. I have always been in a position of being the reader only.

For the past year, my husband has been writing a column for a secular paper and I always enjoyed reading the first person account. Even though I know him, still it seemed like he was an out-of-a-book character to me.

From time to time, he would write about his family or events in his life and it was what some would call: drama in real life.

This column, I feel, will be a relationship…a relationship with the reader. At times we will be intimate and close; other times we may be demanding and expectant. Whatever, I hope we will be friends.

Having just “shooshed” two of my three children upstairs for the third time, you and I can get on with the formalities.

While I’m typing this, my oldest daughter, Heidi (age 7), is attending second grade in a public school in our town. My other two children, Nathan (age 5) is being taught at home his kindergarten year, and Ruth (age 2) makes life interesting.

When I’m not home on some weekdays, you can find me at the local newspaper doing ad make-up and pinch-hitting where needed. I enjoy my work for the creativity of it and well, I have this great boss too, that makes the rushed, weary-producing hours very bearable. Such a sweetie that Tom.

Well, Nathan’s downstairs now and I can hear the soft thud of Rooter (alias Ruth) on the stairs. Actually, she was down before I could finish typing the sentence. Maybe it’s time to look to the Word.

Ah yes, John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Thanks Lord.

That peace is worth all the gold in anyone’s bank. That liar and thief is after my peace, all too often, and I’ve got to take a stand and keep it or reclaim it.

I found it interesting today how this verse in John is written. It says, “Peace I leave WITH you.” Many gifts and treasures did Jesus leave us when He ascended to our Father. This peace He left behind for us. Now the next part of the verse says, “My peace I GIVE unto you.”

Many times we Christians can be heard saying, “Lord, give me peace”—times like when two children are crying and you only have one pair of hands for holding and someone is expected at your door any moment and your only pair of hands sure could be used for picking up your dining room that looks like you have a creative arts class for 12 preschoolers.

“Lord, give me peace.”

I just ordered Nathan and Ruth upstairs again. Ruth’s screaming. Nathan’s teasing. I need that extra measure of peace right now, but I have to ask for it, you know. If you want someone to give you something you have to ASK.

Interesting too, “…not as the world giveth.” Will there be peace if I turn the TV on? Plug them into the worldly soaps or the subtle humanist public educational station? Jesus’ peace please. It’s not to last 30 minutes or an hour, but it will be issued forth, flowing. Glory to God.

You know, I think this column is going to be good for the soul. There’s always a blessing when you preach to yourself.

Catch you later.