Isaiah uses the phrase shalom-shalom, which means peace upon peace. A double portion. A wholeness that holds you together when life threatens to rip you apart.

This kind of peace isn’t passive or fragile. It’s Spirit-anchored, storm-defying, devil-confusing peace. Peace that shows up in hospital waiting rooms, in board meetings, and the quiet loneliness of early mornings. And it’s available to you—whether you’re in ministry, leadership, a student, a parent, married or single.

As a pastor and leader, I’ve often felt the tension between where I am and where I believe God is calling me next.

Sometimes I sense transition coming—but I don’t have clarity yet.
Sometimes I feel stretched in every direction—pulled between caring for people and caring for my soul.

And honestly? Most of the time, I’ve never felt like everything is perfectly aligned.

It often feels like:

I’m winning in ministry—but struggling at home.  Or …
I’m doing great with my family—but struggling to keep the vision alive at church.  Or …
I’m strong publicly—but tired privately.

And in those moments, I’ve found myself echoing the honest prayer of former AGK Superintendent Rich Peterson:

“Lord, this is your church, and it has a problem. I’ll do whatever you tell me but it’s yours.” That’s not weak. That’s wise. That’s what trust sounds like in the trenches of leadership.

Let me say something clearly—especially to AGK credential holders:

We are called to be privately healthy and publicly fruitful.
Not perfect. Not performative. Not constantly exhausted.
The next generation—our students, our staff, our kids—are watching.
Not to see how well we perform, but to see how well we live.

They’re watching how we handle pressure.
How we protect our priorities.
How we actually live out what we preach.

Let’s be clear:
If you’re married, your first calling isn’t to your platform—it’s to intimacy with Jesus.
If you’re single, your first calling still isn’t to ministry—it’s to intimacy with Jesus.

Your first calling is to be with Him.
Everything flows from His presence.
Your peace. Your wisdom. Your endurance. Your fruit.

I was reminded of that just a few weeks ago. It had been a crazy couple of days—actually, a crazy few weeks. Amber and I had been together, but not really together.
Every conversation was interrupted. Every moment was shared with kids needing something, asking something, or demanding something. (If you’re a parent, you get it.)

Amber loves going on family walks, but that night, we gave the kids permission to stay home and burn some screen time. They were thrilled. We were free.

So we walked—just the two of us. And here’s what surprised me: we barely talked. Maybe five minutes of actual conversation. But we walked hand in hand, side by side, without distraction, without demand. And that was the joy—just being together.

We didn’t need to perform.
We didn’t need to fix anything.
We didn’t need to produce a breakthrough moment.

We just needed to be present.

And I believe the same is true in our walk with Jesus.

There’s power in simply showing up—hand in hand with the Lord.
You don’t have to talk the whole time. You don’t have to produce results.
You need to be with Him.

In marriage. In singleness. In leadership. In life.
Your soul will only stay healthy if it’s rooted in presence, not performance.

It was the first week of June 2024, and I had been Superintendent for four days. I had just pulled out of the AGK parking lot, when I called Amber and said, “This is extremely important—I need to say this before I lose courage. This role can become intoxicating. Help me stay grounded, rooted, and remind me that everything flows from being with Him and in His presence. Don’t allow me to believe the lie that I’m this good or that I can do this on my own.”

That’s how I stay anchored. That’s how I stay close to Jesus—by being honest, humble, and accountable to those who walk with me.

I have to remind myself constantly: I’m Nathan, who’s been given the opportunity to serve as Superintendent. But everything starts and everything finishes with me being in His presence.

Before I lead others, I have to walk with Him.
Before I carry vision, I have to sit at His feet.
Before I build, I have to be still.

Because the peace I need, the wisdom I seek, the strength I stand on they don’t come from my position. They come from His presence.

In Mark 4, the disciples are panicking in a storm, and Jesus is asleep in the boat.
They shout, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He gets up, rebukes the wind, and says: “Peace. Be still.”

And everything changed. You can’t speak peace if you don’t carry peace.
And you can’t carry peace unless you trust the One who rules the storm.

That same Jesus is in your boat. So today—whether you're leading a church, teaching a classroom, raising toddlers, walking through grief, or just trying to breathe—
Peace isn’t far.

You can have it. You were promised it.
Not because everything is calm.
But because He is with you.

Let this be the day you trade:

• Control → Trust

• Anxiety → Dependence

• Fear → Shalom-shalom

“Jesus, I release fear. I receive peace. I trust You in the storm. You are in my boat.”

He will keep you.
He will fight for you.
And He will never leave you.

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You.” (Isaiah 26:3)