A Peaceful, Easy Feeling

I once read in a sermon illustration of a painting that depicted a devastating tornado ripping through a neighborhood.The canvas hung in an art gallery, and one of the docents noticed a gentleman who would often visit and look at this particular work. She approached him one afternoon and asked him, “Sir, may I ask what you see?”

”I see peace,” he replied.

”Peace? How is that? There is nothing in this picture but the destructive force of nature.”

The gentleman smiled and pointed in the lower corner of the canvas. He indicated a tree that had been passed over by the tornado. In its branches, a mother bird spread her wings over her babies - protecting them and comforting them in the midst of the chaotic scene. He said, “To know love and comfort in the midst of the ruins life throws our way - that is peace.”

So many of us are experiencing turmoil and struggles we have never faced before. It is easy to believe that we are responsible for manufacturing moments of respite for the sake of our sanity. However, in truth, peace is happening all around us. It isn’t manufactured. It is observed. Take a break from your work, turn off the screens, and take a deep breath. Walk outside if you are able. Reflect on your friends who truly live life with you and lift you up. Quiet your mind. Extend grace to yourself. Be still and observe.

You are seen. You are loved. Experience peace.