Peace like a River...

I've often heard the phrase, "Peace like a river" and wondered about it's meaning. I guess for me, I picture a river as being white-capped and turbulent, full of risk and peril. A River is something that you need a boat and life vest for, more like life. Life to me is turbulent: full of risks, dangers, turmoil, and uncertainty. You get up each day, don your life jacket, grab your paddles, and hope for the best. You may not know what lies ahead, but you sure hope that you find your way through it safely and in one piece.
In my mind, I imagine Peace to be like a desert. Although I've never been in a desert, I imagine it to be a vast empty land with nothing around: no distractions, no stress, nothing to do. Sometimes I'd like to having nothing to do, no responsibilities or duties, no rules or regulations. Sometimes I'd like to just walk for days to find water and not be on any kind of schedule. Maybe in this imaginary desert I could stumble across an oasis and have everything I need: solitude, water, clean air, and rest. It's at this oasis that I imagine napping and dreaming and achieving that peace that we all hope for.
Nate will soon be in a desert of his own, although far more real than my imaginary one. His will in fact be far more dangerous, more like a turbulent white-capped river. And so, while I imagine my peaceful desert, I pray for his perilous one and hope that he is embraced in safety and comfort, in strength and ultimately peace-of-mind in knowing that we are here at home, patiently waiting, loving him from afar, and anxiously awaiting his return home.