Find Peace in an Insane World
by Nancy Bowers, RScP
“We can do nothing to change the appearances that show up in our lives unless we change the premise in our mind.” – Danet S. Palmer
“As a man thinketh, so does he perceive. Therefore, seek not to change the world, but choose to change your mind about the world. Perception is a result and not a cause.” – A Course in Miracles
“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.
God is everywhere. In any situation, in every person, in the tragedies and the celebrations, in the heartaches and the joys. God is there. What I know is that Divine Presence is loving. It is kind. It is compassionate. It is beautiful, and it is generous and supportive and the bringer of miracles. The blessings are always available. Any failure to notice them is a failure of mind, not a failure of Spirit.
In this moment, as I remember this truth, I recognize that simply by pausing and breathing in the Love of the Divine, I can shift my perceptions. I can let go of condemnation. I can let go of fear. I can become available to the guidance that always mine for the asking. It’s yours for the asking, too, because God is all-inclusive.
In the heartbeat of the Divine lies sanity. Yes, the world’s insanity continues to rage, but when I let go of thinking I know what anything is for, when I give up judgment and my ego’s opinions, when I step past MY ideas and listen to the Holy Spirit, I discover peace. I cannot change what seems to be happening, but when I let go of thinking I know anything, when I relinquish the insane notion that I know better than God what “should” be happening, I am once again in a position to be divinely guided. Peace is found never found in judgment, but it is found in faith.
So, I claim peace for everyone. I affirm goodness in the world. I affirm faith that each of us sees through the lens of love for one another without judgment or fear.
I am grateful that Love is always here. I am grateful that my peace contributes to world peace and that my peace comes from faith. I am grateful for the faith, and grateful for the awareness that God is everywhere. I am eternally thankful that I don’t need to understand how all the pieces fit to trust that God can be trusted to sort it all out, so I let Him and remain vigilant for the guidance that lets me know what I, personally, need to do. I change my mind about the world and in that moment return to Love.
In letting go, I find peace. And so it is. Amen.