By Elizabeth MacDonald of Seaside, Oregon USA

How blessed are they? For they published peace; they published good tidings of good; and they declared to the people that the Lord reigns.

The storm clouds are dark and heavy with rain.
An opening appears between the clouds
And rays of sunlight pierce the darkness
Bringing hope that the storm will soon pass.

The crack in the concrete is jagged
And seems a barren, wasted space.
Two leaves push through the sidewalk crack,
A bud forms, a flower opens bringing hope
That beauty will grace the barren space.

The sound of war surrounds a village;
Mortar rounds drown out sounds of life.
An eerie silence comes as morning dawns.
The soft sound of singing is heard as light comes
Bringing hope that hearts will again sing with joy.

Hope appears in the spaces of life
Between darkness and light; death and life;
It grows in the barren, wasted places;
It shines into the dark, empty rooms of our lives
And sings in the silence of a new day dawning.

Look for hope, search for God
Where the ground is wasted space.
Listen for God, hear hope
In the silence between sounds of destruction.
Stand in the Light and let your heart sing.

Prayer Phrase

“…we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).

Weeding the Garden

Inner transformation can take place among daily leisure and work. Try cultivating the spiritual discipline of grace and acceptance while weeding the garden. As you pull each weed, offer a short prayer. Tug. (God remove from my heart all prejudice and fear.) Tug again. (God, keep me from judging others.) As you remove the weeds, continue praying. (Plant in my heart the seeds of your love.) If you don’t have a garden, try this transforming prayer while engaging in repetitive tasks or work today (cleaning out a closet, washing dishes, cleaning the floors, mowing the lawn).

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.