Wisdom of Peace
Here are some insightful snippets that
can sometimes be found in email boxes or blogs - often with the author
unknown. Sometimes humorous and sometimes sincere, sometimes they are
"folk" lore, but they have a special place here because they help
understand the meaning of peace within oneself and with others.
Clay Balls
A man was exploring caves by
the Seashore. In one of the caves he found
a canvas bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls. It was like someone had
rolled clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn't look
like much, but they intrigued the man, so he took the bag out of the
cave with him. As he strolled along the beach, he would throw the clay
balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could.
He thought little about it, until he dropped one of the clay balls and it
cracked open on a rock. Inside was a beautiful, precious stone!
Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each
contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of
jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left.
Then it struck him He had been on the beach a long time. He had thrown
maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure into the
ocean waves. Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have
taken home tens of thousands, but he had just thrown it away!
It's like that with people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves,
and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn't look like much from the
outside. It isn't always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it.
We see that person as less important than someone more beautiful or
stylish or well known or wealthy. But we have not taken the time to
find the treasure hidden inside that person.
There is a treasure in each and every one of us. If we take the time to
get to know that person, and if we ask God to show us that person the
way He sees them, then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant
gem begins to shine forth.
May we not come to the end of our lives and find out that we have thrown
away a fortune in friendships because the gems were hidden in bits of
clay. May we see the people in our world as God sees them.
Author unknown,
forwarded by Bette Wilson 2/27/2010
IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER
-
by Erma Bombeck
(written
after she found out she was dying from cancer).
I would have gone to bed
when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding
pattern if I weren't there for the day.
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted
in storage.
I would have talked less and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was
stained, or the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much
less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his
youth.
I would have shared more of the responsibility
carried by my husband.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day
because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less while
watching television and more while watching life.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't
show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every
moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only
chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would
never have said, 'Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.' There would
have been more 'I love you's' More 'I'm sorry's.'
But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute, look
at it and really see it, live it and never give it back.
STOP SWEATING THE SMALL
STUFF!!!
Don't worry about who
doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what.
Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love
us.
Forwarded by Dee Gressinger
10/21/09
The House We Built
An elderly
carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer/contractor of
his plans to leave the house-building business and live a more
leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would
miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.
The contractor
was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just
one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in
time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He
resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was
an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career.
When the
carpenter finished his work the employer came to inspect the house.
He handed the front-door key to the carpenter.
"This is your
house," he said, "my gift to you."
The carpenter was
shocked! What a shame!
If he had only
known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so
differently.
So it is with us.
We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our
best into the building. Then with a shock we realize we have to live
in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we'd do it much
differently. But we cannot go back.
You are the
carpenter. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a
wall. "Life is a do-it-yourself project," someone has said. Your
attitudes and the choices you make today, build the "house" you live
in tomorrow. Build wisely!
Author unknown,
forwarded by Bette Wilson 2009
Freedom of Old Age
"I would never trade my amazing
friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a
flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less
critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for
eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that
silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avantgarde on my
patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.
I have seen too many dear friends
leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that
comes with aging.
Whose business is it if I choose to
read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon? I will
dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60 & 70's, and if I,
at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love ... I will.
I will walk the beach in a swim suit
that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with
abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set.
They too, will get old.
I know I am sometimes forgetful.
But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I
eventually remember the important things.
Sure, over the years my heart has
been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or
when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a
car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion.
A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy
of being imperfect...
I am so blessed to have lived long
enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be
forever etched into deep grooves on my face.
So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair
could turn silver.
As you get older, it is easier to be
positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question
myself anymore.
I've even earned the right to be wrong.
So, to answer your question, I like
being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not
going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time
lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I
shall eat dessert every single day (if I feel like it).
MAY YOU ALWAYS HAVE A RAINBOW OF SMILES ON YOUR FACE AND IN YOUR HEART
FOREVER AND EVER!"
Author unknown, forwarded by JoAnne
Ricci 10/20/09
Nails in
the Fence
There once was a little boy who had a bad
temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he
lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.
The
first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few
weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered
daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his
temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when
the boy didn't lose his temper at all.
He told
his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one
nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.
The
days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all
the nails were gone.
The
father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, 'You
have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence
will
never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just
like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out... But It
won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound will still be
there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.
Remember that friends are very
rare jewels indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They
lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their
hearts to us.
Please
forgive me if I have ever left a 'hole' in your fence.
Author unknown, forwarded by Beth
Sansom 10/16/09
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