A king once offered a sizable sum to any artist that could capture the truest essence of peace in a painting for his castle walls. Thousands of artists responded to the challenge and presented the king with the most beautiful paintings imaginable. After much consideration, the king narrowed his choices to two.
One was of a serenely calm lake that reflected the towering, green hills like a mirror. Above the hills could be seen the fluffy white clouds in such detail that the soft movement of the breeze could be detected. Meandering down the mountainside was a bubbling brook from which a doe drank lazily of the cool waters. All who gazed upon it at once sighed, the countenance of their faces softening.
The other was similar but quite different at the same time. Instead of hills, the earth swelled into bare and rugged mountains above which rose an angry sky. Dark clouds circled and lightening flashed. Down the side of the mountain, water crashed over the rocks into a foaming whirlpool currant filled with debris. Those who looked upon the painting recoiled, tension etching their faces.
To this day, the second painting hangs majestically in the castle. The king had a very keen eye and had noticed that behind the waterfall a tiny bush was growing in the crack of a rock. In the bush, a mother bird had built her nest and sat at peace in the tumult that raged about her.
Wise kings know that peace does not mean there will be no work, noise, toil, trouble or even, war. Peace means that when those things are at their worst, we are still calm in our hearts…. true peace passes all understanding.
Deana
One of my favorite illustrations. Reminds me that peace is not dependant on what surrounds me on the outside, but rather what fills me on the inside. At when I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I can experience true peace - no matter what's going on around me. And here lately, I've needed to be reminded of that.
Posted by: Anita Harrison | November 13, 2009 at 09:59 PM