There once was a king who offered a prize to the artist who
would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried.
The king looked at all the pictures, but there were only two
he really liked and he had to choose between them.

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror,
for peaceful towering mountains were all around it.
Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds.
All who saw the picture thought it was a perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged and bare.
Above was an angry sky from which rain fell,
and in which lightening played. Down the side of the mountain
tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all.
But when the king looked closely, he saw behind the waterfall
a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush
a mother bird had her nest. There in the midst of the rush
of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest.

The king chose the second picture as the winner. "Because,"
explained the king, "peace does not mean to be in a place
where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work.
Peace means to be in the midst of all those things
and still be calm in your heart.
That is the real meaning of peace."

© Tina's Prayer Gate
December 18, 2012