DEEPENING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF PEACE: the balance of Life
(inspired by Living Compass Living Well through Advent)
How do you understand peace?
Do you believe that peace may require you to grow and change?
If you were to write a one- or two- sentence definition of peace,
what would you write?
My understanding of PEACE has shifted from an external view to an internal one. My first reaction to conflict or stress or chaos was to shut down and move away from it; often, to sleep. Then I realized that MOVEMENT was a need that when fulfilled help to alleviate the turmoil I was experiencing outside myself and feeling within me.
Physical movement, such as walking or journaling, was the expenditure of energy that helped bring me to a more grounded place. It revealed my inner thoughts. It cleared my thinking and allowed the "inner knot" to surface... and then, I would wrestle with what's next... how does this inform me and what decision do I need to make? So, it wasn't really PEACE but a phase on the continuum.
I am now more aware that my inner workings on my path to PEACE has shifted once again. I have moved from avoiding or shutting down from the stress to burning through the energy that stress produces and now... I am grounded in God.
Much like the tree above, it's branches are affected by the elements and transform accordingly; to adjust and to adapt in each season. I am much more interested in the roots; how I am grounded, what nourishes me, and how I stay rooted in God, my beliefs, and my practices. Many winds and storms can blow through the branches while the tree itself stays steadfast.
PEACE: “Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... It's about learning to dance in the rain.” ~Vivian Greene
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