I love to come to a place in the woods that is not very photogenic on the surface and just stop and look around until something of beauty or simply unusual is found.  More often than not, you end up seeing them in my emails; not because they are such great subjects, but merely because there is beauty to be found in anything if we would just look hard enough.  It was in such a spot that I stood searching for that one thing, that I noticed this small leaf (about the size of my thumb nail) desperately hanging on to the limb and seemingly waving at me in an attempt to get my attention.

                The day was warm and the wind was blustery.  It was pleasant but the winds seemed to pick up speed and force as the day progressed; there was a storm in our near future.  This makes taking a photo of a small leaf attached to the end of a long limb difficult.  I ended up taking several photos of this tiny leaf before I was able to capture one that was half way in focus.  I thought to myself during the process that I was taking too much time on this small insignificant leaf, but I was hooked and determined to walk away with a photo I could use.

                Looking back at that moment I remember thinking that the small leaf could not possible hang on much longer, but I was wrong, because it not only hung in spite of much conflict, but did so with much grace and beauty.  It had found a way to cope despite the storm that was coming.  That is what real peace is; the ability to smile in the face of danger, the capacity to stay connected even when the winds of opposition are blowing.  You may not be the biggest leaf or the most colorful, but you still hang on and do so with grace and beauty, this is peace both without and within.

                It is easy to smile when winds are calm, but what about when the storm comes?  Anybody can enjoy the spring time, but what about when it’s January, windy and cold?  Peace does not dwell in our outward conditions, but within the soul that has found the Prince of Peace and learned to cope.  We may preserve it in the midst of the bitterest pain if our will remain firm and submissive.  Peace in this life springs from acceptance, not in an exemption from suffering.  Determine to live a life of peace and to be a peace-maker, no matter what the weather or the conditions around us today.  What have you got to lose?

Something to think about:

• We have possessions without peace and comfort without contentment.

• Our Master takes life’s pieces and gives us unbroken peace.

• If we have not quiet in our minds, outward comfort will do no more for us than a golden slipper on a gouty foot.

• No sleep can be tranquil unless the mind is at rest.

• Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice.

• When we put our cares in the Masters hands, he puts his peace in our hearts.

• Grant me the serenity
• To accept the things I cannot change,
  The courage to change the things I can,
  And the wisdom to know
  One from the other.

Your friend
Rickey Moore