From: milady@mediaone.net
The Picture of Peace
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 this picture thought that 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, 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, he saw behind the waterfall
a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock.
In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in
the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird
on her nest... perfect peace.
Which picture do you think won the prize?
The King chose the second picture.
Do you know why?
"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.
-Author Unknown
(
geocities.com/stauffer_james)