Peace, The Gift Of God

Many years ago I was walking along and came upon a squirrel sitting under a tree.  In his little paws he held a roasted peanut and as I looked on, bit into the outer shell.  He spit out the pieces and nibbled on the peanut inside.  Unafraid of me, he sat there, a picture of contentment like a king at his table.

He didn’t know were his next peanut would come from.  That night he would sleep under the stars with no protection from the rain and the storms.  God built a system of harmony into the makeup of this tiny creature so that worries, tensions, anxieties have no place in the life of a squirrel.

As we sit down to our well stocked tables with our pantries filled with supplies for many days ahead will we experience the spirit of contentment and satisfaction?  Our homes will protect us from the elements and give us security in the dark hours of the night.

Did God plan peace for this little animal and little or no peace for us, His highest form of creation?  Jesus promised his followers harmony and contentment in living.  “My peace I give you.”  Surely the Lord would not dangle this way of life before us as one holds a carrot before a rabbit.

He tells us the secret of bringing tranquility into our lives; “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God.”  “The Kingdom of God is within.”  Within our physical bodies lies the Kingdom of God, made up of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, with their Beauty, Glory, Love and Power in every nook and cranny.

We have access to these splendid qualities of God.  As we come across the hardships of life, we need not lose our peace of heart and give way to despair, bitterness and darkness of spirit.  In faith we can turn to the Three Persons within and bring forth Their Goodness into the circumstances of our lives.

Let go of the overwhelming desire to have everything we do in life turn out in ideal fashion.  We can do our best at parenting, studying, working – but after that we need to leave the rest to the Kingdom of God within.

                        Fr. George Mc Kenna