Peace on Earth

It is another late winter afternoon in the Pacific NW; the sky is mostly clear with a few pink clouds here and there. Soon the sun will set, ending another peaceful day. Not more then a few minutes ago, little birds were flying back and forth -- landing for a few seconds on the branches of the big pine outside a window. Now they have gone elsewhere, leaving only memories of their visit here.

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In another window, I see the delicate upper branches of a Japanese maple outstretched against the very pale blue of the winter sky; another window frames a peaceful scene of a field bordered by tall deciduous trees. All of it created by a loving Creator. Peace. Stillness. Serenity.

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It is morning in the NW in a small town on the Columbia River. A husband and father of seven makes his way to a mall in an attempt to bring peace and calm to the situation unfolding there by a troubled soul--he will never return home, he will never be able to hold his wife or his children again, he will never be there to diffuse another tense situation or offer another smile to his colleagues. The sun has set on his earthly life and a town, a county, a state, a nation is left reeling -- wondering with how to make sense of this tragedy; a tragedy which will leave a permanent mark on many.

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Another morning in the SW--land of cactus and majestic sunsets. Soon the peace is shattered by gunfire; soon more families lives will know the immense loss and pain that losing a loved one will bring. Soon more lives will be lost; more people injured, more pain will--again--visit a community and a nation.

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I sit curled up on the dark blue recliner, a soft cream colored blanket tucked around me to ward off the winter's chill. My Bible is open as I read the well known passages from the Sermon on the Mount--the Beatitudes, the so called "Golden Rule"--words, eternal words, from our Savior; the One who came to bring peace on this earth. I ponder over His words -- words of love, hope, peace and mercy: "Therefore all things whatever ye desire that men should do to you, thus do *ye* also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets."

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The sun has set now; the world outside my windows in now dark; devoid of light and any color besides black. And yet, I know that if I were to step outside and look up, I would see the heavens above filled with starlight; white twinkling lights set in a dark sky.

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And I long for the light of His Word, the Words of a loving Creator, to fill the hearts of all those He created; I long for Him to fill my heart, too, with more of His light.

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Kyrie Eleison, Dona Nobis Pacem.

Aimee

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Verse: Matthew 7:12. Darby Translation, 1890.

Comment: My heart is saddened today by these latest tragedies--tragedies, not caused by earthquake or flooding; tragedies caused by the act of man against his fellow man. My heart cries out from the senselessness of it all; of the loss; of our loss. May God be with all those who have lost so much this week; may God be with us all.

Note: Please accept my apology for any grammatical or spelling errors. Sometimes I take the time to correct them, but tonight I'm going to leave the post as is. OK? :)