How do we make time for peace?

This is a question I've been wrestling with lately, and I don't think I'm alone in it. Carving out regular time for yourself—time to rest, reflect, and just breathe—turns out to be way harder than I anticipated. It's something I'm really trying to work on this semester, though I'll be honest: I'm not doing great at it yet.

I think part of the challenge is that rest doesn't feel productive in the moment. When you're staring down a to-do list, juggling deadlines, and trying to keep up with everything expected of you, taking time to be still can feel almost irresponsible. There's always something else that needs doing, always another email to answer or assignment to finish. And in a culture that celebrates busyness, slowing down can feel like falling behind.

But I'm learning—slowly, and often the hard way—that peace isn't something we stumble into when life finally calms down. It's something we have to intentionally create space for, even in the middle of the chaos. Maybe especially in the middle of the chaos. Waiting for the "right time" to rest usually means we never do.

The tricky part is figuring out what that actually looks like in practice. I don't have this all figured out yet, but I'm trying to be more intentional. Whether that's a few quiet minutes in the morning before the day gets going, a walk without my phone, protecting one evening a week from commitments, or just saying no to one more thing on my plate—I'm learning that small, consistent acts of self-care add up in ways that occasional grand gestures don't.

Some days I manage it. Other days I don't. But I'm trying to give myself grace in the process and remember that learning to rest is itself a practice worth investing in.

If you're struggling with this too, you're not alone. Maybe we can figure it out together, one intentional moment at a time.

Until next week—I'm praying for you,
James

What's one small way you could create space for peace this week?