Peace that Surpasses Understanding

When Stephen was surrounded by a mob of angry, religious zealots he knew what was about to take place. He was standing before the door of death, and it would now only be a matter of minutes before he would be ruthlessly murdered for his crimes. He had openly defied Israel's law. He was persistent in preaching about this Christ fellow, which was heresy. Something akin to a demonic influence grasped at their hearts, and in one accord the crowd pounced on him and began to sink their fingernails and teeth into any open skin that they could find. They were mauling him like beasts would to fresh prey. During this moment Stephen looked up and saw the heavens open up, and he saw Christ sitting at the right hand of the Father; and his countenance was transformed into glorious awe. He wasn't concerned with what was happening to his physical body, because he fully knew that his spirit was immortal, and that it was now only a matter of time before he would enter into the new life with his Master, and Creator.
After they had their taste of his blood they drug him from the city and out into the open; whereby they received Saul's, a religious leader, blessing to slay him. The anger in Stephen's country men’s' eyes was terrifying for him to behold. He saw nothing but hatred in its purest form. Their countenances were morphed into contemplative rage as they purposefully surrounded him for the single purpose of brutally murdering him.
The first stone thrown may have missed, or it may have struck its mark, we don't know for sure. But what we do know is that after he was bloodied, and crushed, while lying on the red stained ground during the last moments of his life he accomplished a humanly impossible feat. He loved the men that hated him in return. They despised him to the point of beating him bloody before hurling stones at him until the entirety of his life forever seeped from his gashes. I can imagine as he looked into their eyes that he saw the smirking faces of demons. But a greater power was at hand! A peace that surpassed even his own understanding had taken root within him, which conceivably began when he had the open vision of his Creator. At that moment of his physical death a river of living water gushed from his belly and flooded into the tyranny surrounding him. The magical power from on high was love. He forgave them as his Father had forgiven him. He loved them as his Father had loved him. He laid down his life so that they could live. He set aside his rights for justice in order for his countrymen to taste the sweetness of forgiveness.
So when do we receive peace that surpasses understanding? I think this story of Stephen’s death (Acts chapter 7) tells us that peace comes from 1) an encounter with God; and 2) when we lay down our lives and rights so that our friends and enemies might live, and have abundant life! When we copy Christ’s example by picking up our crosses in order to follow Him, then, we open up our lives for the rivers of living water to miraculously touch the nations.