Pebbles for Peace

I remember as a child tossing pebbles into the pond on our farm and watching the ripples expand into ever wider circles until the entire pond had felt the movement from that tiny little pebble.  The actions for peace and unity that we take each day of our lives no matter how small and insignificant they seem to us create the same effect.  One small act of compassion creates ripples of compassion that literally move the entire world. 

Perhaps all I can do today is acknowledge the flagman who is directing traffic during road construction.  Rather than expressing my frustration because my travels have been delayed, I will try a smile or a nod of appreciation for the hot, boring but essential job that the flagman or woman is providing.  Maybe my peace offering for the day will be to let the mother with the young toddler go ahead of me in the grocery line, or to leave the closest parking space in the lot for the next person, whoever they may be. 

When I started thinking about this idea, I remembered a song from my teenage years that started with the line “It only takes a spark to get a fire going….”   And then I remembered one of my favorite quotes from Mother Teresa , “In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.”  Indeed even fairy tales of our childhood speak of the power of small things.  Remember that infamous pea that kept the Princess awake all night long.

Wouldn’t it be great if instead of just a few ripples, we created a tidal wave of peace and compassion?  Next time I feel frustration, impatience, anger, maybe I will remember to stop and remember that I can choose peace.  I can take one small action that will create a ripple of compassion that can be felt around the world.  Maybe if you join me we can indeed create a tidal wave of peace from a few small pebbles.

Stop...Look....Listen

"We need to find ways to lift the moments of our daily lives — to celebrate and consecrate the ordinary, to allow the light of spiritual awareness to illuminate our days. For though we may not live a holy life, we live in a world alive with holy moments. We need only take the time to bring these moments into the light."

— Kent Nerburn in Small Graces

The air outside this morning is crisp and clean.  As I stood watching the sunrise this morning, I experienced one of the "Small Graces" that Kent Nerburn speaks about.  Then I came into my computer and here was this quote waiting for me.  How many opportunities each day pass us by without lifting our awareness of the Presence of the Divine all around us?  I am reminded of the the Ancient Celts who were onto something when they with joy, prayer and poetry acknowledged even the mundane happenings in the world around them.  While we in our modern world become so engrossed with our technology, our Smart Phones, Facebook, and TV, that we miss out on the wonders that are all around us each and every minute of our waking lives.  Thich Nat Han, the wonderful Buddist monk and writer speaks similarly in reminding us to be mindful and fully aware of our experiences.

So just for today, I am challenging myself to pay attention, to be mindful, to rejoice in the "Small Graces" I will encounter today.  Maybe I will have the pleasure of seeing a young child laugh with delight, or stop to actually listen to the bird's morning song.

Here is your challenge as well.  Just for today.... STOP... LOOK.... LISTEN....experience a few of God's "Small Graces" that are planted in your path today.