For the longest time, I treated peace like a private luxury item. Something I guarded, protected, and rationed like a fragile heirloom. Let people in too close, I thought, and the whole thing would shatter. But this past Sunday, while pot roast simmered and friends gathered around my table, something shifted. I realized peace does not weaken when shared. It multiplies.
The Bible says in John 14:27 that Jesus gives us a peace the world cannot manufacture or steal. That line stopped being poetic and started becoming practical in my own kitchen.
As author Parker Palmer once wrote, “Community is the place where the person you least want to live with always lives.” I used to read that and laugh nervously. Now I read it and hear an invitation to trust.
When Guarding Peace Turns Into Isolation
I spent years building a calm life. I prayed my way out of chaos. I rewired my thinking so I did not live on constant alert. And I did it well.
But somewhere along the way, I confused protection with separation.
Scripture reminds us in Hebrews 10:24 that we are meant to stir one another toward love and good deeds. That cannot happen from behind closed doors forever. You can protect your peace so tightly that it never has the chance to bless anyone else.
As Alain de Botton writes, “We are not especially logical creatures; we are creatures of habit.” If all my peaceful days are spent alone, then I am quietly shaping a lonely life even while insisting I am content.
When Peace Becomes a Table, Not a Wall
That Sunday, I did not host perfectly. I hosted honestly. There were conversations about car insurance, scammers, life frustrations, and faith. Nothing glamorous. Everything human.
And the peace I thought I was risking did not evaporate. It settled into the room like a second guest.
The book of Proverbs tells us in Proverbs 17:22 that a joyful heart is good medicine. That afternoon, laughter was the prescription and connection was the cure.
As novelist Elizabeth Gilbert once wrote, “Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions.” That day reminded me that my thoughts about peace had been limiting the very thing I was trying to protect.
Soul Insights
1. Peace is not a possession. It is a posture.
I used to think peace was something I owned. Something fragile that could be taken from me. I am learning it is something I practice. When I show up calm, curious, and unguarded, peace follows me into rooms rather than staying locked behind my door.
2. Hospitality is not about perfection. It is about permission.
People do not need your house to look like a magazine spread. They need permission to exhale. When you stop performing and start welcoming, your space becomes breathable. That is when real community begins.
3. Sharing peace does not mean surrendering boundaries.
Inviting others into your calm life does not require abandoning discernment. You can open your table without opening your soul to chaos. Peace grows best when it is paired with wisdom.
4. Faith matures when it leaves the prayer closet.
It is easy to trust God when you are alone. It is braver to trust Him when other people are involved. My faith stretched when I realized that prayer does not end when guests arrive. It simply changes its shape.
5. Loneliness is not cured by noise. It is healed by belonging.
You can sit in a crowded room and still feel invisible. You can also sit at a simple table and feel seen. Peace does not arrive with volume. It arrives with attention.
Final Thoughts
Peace does not have to be hoarded like a fragile treasure. It can become a meal, a conversation, a shared silence that feels safe. It can become a table instead of a wall.
If you are guarding your calm so fiercely that no one ever experiences it with you, maybe it is time to loosen your grip just a little. You might discover that the very thing you were protecting is what others have been quietly praying to find.
Your Turn
This week, invite one person into your peace. Not to impress them. Not to fix them. Just to share a moment of calm. And then notice what grows.
By the way…
If this resonates with you, I’d love for you to check out my book 17 Syllables of Me and visit my website, SoulPath Insights. They carry more of the journey I’m learning to live.
Thank you for taking the time to read! 🤗
© 2025 Amelie Chambord
Soul Path Insights 
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