When Juan leaves home, he puts peace in his pocket. As he walks through his day, and adversity confronts him, he plucks it from his pocket and examines it, calming his nerves.

Juan walks away from the staff room, while others rant around him. They were angry about the cutbacks in their department. Management expected them to maintain their same level of production with fewer workers and vacations were on hold.

“Can you believe this?”

Juan turned to his left at a red-faced Ralph.

“I had tickets to Disney! Now my kids and wife will hate me!” Juan could tell that the man desperately needed nicotine. In a moment, Ralph was bounding through the door with his hand in his shirt pocket.

Juan headed past the roiling mob as they entered the break room, breathing flames. He headed to his cubicle for a moment alone.

Later, Darnell passed by Juan to get to his own cubicle.

“Hey, Juan. You must be the only calm one here. “You all screamed out?”

“Nah, I’m fine. I’ve been glancing through the paper before getting back to work.”

“Man, how can you stay so calm? Do you have special powers?”

Juan crossed his legs. “I have peace that gets me through.”

“Where do you have peace?”

“In my pocket. I carry it with me everywhere I go.”

Darnell laughed. “I need some of that!”

“Then do it. Find that peace like I did.”

Darnell became serious. “Tell me about it.”

Juan smiled and pulled something from his pocket and handed it to Darnell. The big man received it and sat up straight. “It’s a book?”

Darnell opened it and noticed that it was a pocket Bible and Juan had photos of his wife and children taped in the front. The book was well worn and flexible.

Juan began to explain, “When I face a storm, I find the peace in my pocket and turn to the Psalms, the Gospels or Philippians four and I feel better. My peace in the pocket never lets me down.”

Darnell stared into nothingness, before turning back to Juan. “Will you teach me about the peace? I haven’t had any in quite awhile.”

“Let’s have lunch tomorrow and talk about it.”

A handshake sealed the deal and Darnell was on his way to the peace that “surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). He would never be the same.

–by Richard Mansel