DAY 16 CHRISTMAS GOOD NEWS: THE BETTER PICTURE

Once there was a king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried.

The king picked two from all the entries. He had to choose the winner between them. One picture was of a calm lake, which mirrored the peaceful mountains around it. Overhead was a cloudless blue sky. All who saw this picture thought that it was the perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains too, but they were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky with fierce flashes of lighting. By the side of one mountain was a thundering waterfall. This picture did not seem peaceful at all.

But the king saw that beside the waterfall, the artist had painted a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush, a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of angry water and cracked mountain, sat the mother bird in her nest . . . perfect peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize?

The second picture. “Because,” explained the king, “peace is not being in a place where there is no noise, no trouble, no problems, no conflict. Peace means being in the midst of all those things and yet, still being calm in your heart. That is peace.”

Lord, thank You for Your perfect peace.
Amidst the turbulence in this world,
my heart is calm, knowing You are with me.

This excerpt is from Grace Found Me by Grace D. Chong, available at OMF Lit Bookshops, shop.omflit.com, Shopee, and Lazada for P325.

It is easy for busy women to drown in a sea of responsibilities and to be faced with doubt and worry each day. In Grace Found Me, author Grace D. Chong points you to Him who can give rest to your heart and soul. Allow Him to remind you who He is and what He can do so you will no longer fret. Grace Found Me is a recipient of the 2012 Gintong Aklat (Golden Book) Award, Inspirational Category, from the Book Development Association of the Philippines.