Peace! Just the sound of the word is soothing. Peace is a beautiful thing and we all seek it. Many years ago, my daddy used this illustration concerning peace and I never forgot it. The illustration told of an artist who was commissioned by a wealthy man to paint something that would depict peace. After a great deal of thought, the artist painted a beautiful country scene. There were green fields with cows standing in them, birds were flying in the blue sky and a lovely little village lay in a distant valley. The artist gave the picture to the man, but there was a look of disappointment on his face. The man said to the artist, This isnt a picture of true peace. It isnt right. Go back and try again. The artist went back to his studio, thought for several hours about peace, then went to his canvas and began to paint. When he was finished, there on the canvas was a beautiful picture of a mother, holding a sleeping baby in her arms, smiling lovingly at the child. He thought, surely, this is true peace, and hurried to give the picture to the wealthy man. But again, the wealthy man refused the painting and asked the painter to try again.The artist returned again to his studio. He was discouraged, he was tired and he was disappointed. Anger swelled inside him, he felt the rejection of this wealthy man. Again, he thought, he even prayed for inspiration to paint a picture of true peace. Then, all of a sudden an idea came, he rushed to the canvas and began to paint as he had never painted before. When he finished, he hurried to the wealthy man. He gave the painting to the man. He studied it carefully for several minutes. The artist held his breath. Then the wealthy man said, Now this is a picture of true peace. He accepted the painting, paid the artist and everyone was happy. And what was this picture of true peace?? The picture showed a stormy sea pounding against a cliff. The artist had captured the furry of the wind as it whipped black rain clouds which were laced with streaks of lightening. The sea was roaring in turmoil, waves churning, the dark sky filled with the power of the furious thunderstorm In. the middle of the picture, under a cliff, the artist had painted a small bird, safe and dry in her nest snuggled safely in the rocks. The bird was at peace midst the storm that raged about her. We are battered by the storms of life and even in the midst of those storms, it is a blessing to know that we can still have peace...peace that passes all understanding. A word from the WORD: You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in You. Trust in the Lord forever; He will always protect us. Isaiah 26:3,4 (GNT) Worth Remembering: The most valuable possession you can own is an open heart. The most powerful weapon you can be is an instrument of peace.-- Carlos Santana
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 11:00:01 +0000
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