When all
is noisy about,
Yet all is
quiet within,
Any
thought for doubt,
Doesn’t even begin.
Peering
out the window,
Rain
pouring down,
Oh, what a
show!
No sign of a frown.
When we’re
at peace to see,
Thunder
and lightning about,
Inside and
safe is glee,
Gatherings of praise to shout.
***
How wonderful it is to be inside
during a thunderstorm, as we peer through our windows at the awesome display
that God’s creation can unleash.
It is as if there is even more
peace available during dangerous times when we feel especially safe. Positioned
to safely observe, where no one else is at threat, because if they were we would not feel safe, we are able to delight
at the wonder unfolding before our eyes.
And the power of such images flood
back into our minds, and well-up pleasantly warm feelings in the heart, of
times past when we were blessed with such safety.
When we feel peace and quiet
within, time tends to stop. When we feel so safe the ever-threatening world
seems more irrelevant than ever. When we feel so safe, rare as it might occur,
we may have the gift of God—to replay the image again whenever we feel unsafe.
Coiling up in front of the fire or
resting on the bench watching the sun set over the ocean, or anywhere where
life unfolds before us in beauty, we have this gift.
The gift of feeling peace and
quiet within is no ordinary gift—it is God’s sure and comforting Presence in
the world that we too often find scary.
The value of such a memory packs
double power. We recall it by memory and we attain a memory for it. In the
latter situation, what we are saying is we tend to unconsciously seek the space
to create more and more peace and quiet within. And that is very good. The more
we desire peace, the more effort we put in to achieve peace, the more we are bound
to experience peace.
When we experience peace and quiet
within we are sold.
Never is there a better experience
for a human being than peace and quiet within.
Once it has been enjoyed, this
sense of holy Shalom in the world, we are converted. When we are so convinced
that goodness-of-soul is possible we want more and more of it. Sometimes the
trick is impatience for the troubling times we have to deal with. We cannot
have peace and quiet within at all times, which is frustrating.
But we can plan to have times of
peace and quiet within. Having experienced such times all we can do is
manufacture the circumstances and let God do the rest.
© 2012 S. J. Wickham.
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