“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” 2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NIV)
In her book, Simple Abundance, author Sarah Breathnach had this to say about January:
“January, the month of new beginnings and cherished memories, beckons. Come, let winter weave her wondrous spell: cold, crisp, woolen-muffler days, long dark evenings of savory suppers, lively conversations, or solitary joys. Outside the temperature drops as the snow falls softly. All of nature is at peace. We should be, too. Draw hearthside. This is the month to dream, to look forward to the year ahead and the journey within.”
Sarah’s words paint a lovely picture, don’t they? I especially like her advice to “draw hearthside.” The idea of sitting close to a fireplace with a roaring, crackling fire as company on a cold night surely appeals to me. However, our home does not boast a fireplace; the most I can hope for is a fleece “throw” over my legs and our cat, Miss Ellie, deciding to snuggle on my lap for a cozy nap. Ahh (sigh)…now that is a peaceful image to me….in fact, it is number 1 on my list of peaceful things. Number 2 on my list would be the peacefulness of newly fallen snow. What an experience to awaken to at least a 5 or 6-inch snow that has fallen during the night and to revel in the purity of it. By purity, I mean unspoiled snow—no vehicle tires or feet (animal or human) have yet touched it. Everything is covered with an unblemished, pristine while blanket. All is quiet and peaceful….at least until vehicles “start”, and creatures begin to stir.
So what images bring peace to your mind? Can you list at least 5 things that you consider “peaceful”? Even though we live in such a busy, chaotic world, we can find peace (or a slice of it) if we truly search for it. January heralds a new year….lying clean, unblemished, and pristine before us—like a new snow. Let’s challenge ourselves this month to take 60 seconds (that’s one teeny, tiny minute) each day to look around and find something peaceful.
By the way….number 3 on my list is a tiny, sleeping baby; number 4 is sitting on the beach watching the ocean; and number 5 is that semi-conscious moment as you are drifting off to sleep…..zzzzzzzz.
Happy New Year!
(c) 2013 Leslie O. Kelley