Portrait of Peace

Lightning bounced its bolt across the shifty, scudded sky,

Thunder's muffled bass beat drummed its echo in the air;

Wild wind whistled by with wanton fury in his eye,

People huddled in their homes and mumbled worried prayer.

Out by the water, in the cleft of a boulder,

sheltered cozily, birds in a nest, unafraid

of the storm, were singing in harmony.

With all the atrocities perpetrated by hate-filled men on fellow creatures of the human race; with all the wars, unrest, anger, misunderstandings, desperation, deceit, greed, selfishness, lust, and wickedness, is peace a possibility or just an intangible illusion?  What is peace, anyway, and can we achieve it on a personal level, in our hearts and homes?

To me, peace is a quiet confidence that all will ultimately be well, that Someone with ability, in authority, cares enough about me to guard what is in my best interest and well being.  It is a rest from struggle, strife, and fear because of trust.

Do I always live in peace?  No.  Why?  Well, because I tend to worry about what I'm unable to fix, because I worry about what I'm afraid could be cause and effect consequence to those I love, because of failure to carry through my responsibility or trying to carry responsibility that doesn't belong to me, because of weariness and frustration......but most of all neglecting awareness of my awesome Prince of Peace.

If you are a church person, you've probably heard the illustration of the artists asked to paint a picture portraying peace.  One supposedly painted a serene, pastoral scene; another, maybe a sleeping baby (can't remember!:)  Anyhow, the winner reportedly painted an approaching storm and the scene I tried to capture with words.  Not an original idea, but a reminder that peace is NOT the absence of conflict, but a song of praise in the midst of it.  God is aware of you and all that surrounds you; may you sense His nearness and peace today.  You are loved; you are understood; you are always in His view:)