May you be filled with His peace

Take My Life and Let It Be

words by Francis R. Havergal

music by Louis J Harold

Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.

Mary Ellen Edmunds recited this short poem in her talk about Peace Amidst the Suffering.  I love that talk. 
This week, I have been thinking a lot about peace.  I have been thinking of all that my Heavenly Father has given me.  Sometimes, I think that we expect to have peace all the time.  We expect to never suffer, to never feel pain, to always have joy.  We forget that the prophets have told us that there must be opposition in all things.  That includes life. 
How would we every recognize real joy if we have never felt real sorrow?  I have come to believe that whenever we are permitted to go through trials, the Lord immediately blesses us for our success and endurence.  Sometimes, it takes only a moment to see the blessing, and sometimes it takes months or even years.  I know, in spite of all that I have gone through, I am richly blessed. 
I know what His spirit feels like in my life, and I know that He cares for me.  I am the person that I am, largely because, of the pain that I have known.  The peace is in the acceptance and the willingness to say, "Nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt".  Perhaps we should work at saying "Nevertheless" a little more often and "It is not my fault" a little less. 

One of my new favorite stories that I have recently heard is the story of an Indian King who lived a long time ago.  He was a very rich man, but also one who was interested in learning.

The King became obsessed with finding the meaning of peace. He wondered what peace could be and how he could receive it. The greatest learned men in his kingdom were invited to answer the questions on peace. If they were successful, they would receive a valuable reward. Many tried but not one of them could explain how to find peace. At last, someone told the King that he should consult a wise man who lived just outside the Kingdom.  The King was told that the wise man was old and very wise.  He would be the only one that might be able to answer the question of peace. 
The King went to the Wise Man and asked his questions. Without a word, the old man went into the kitchen and brought out a grain of wheat for the King.
"In this you will find the answer to your question," the Wise Man said, as he humbly placed the grain of wheat in the palm of the King's hand.
Puzzled by the wheat, but unwilling to admit his ignorance, the King took the grain of wheat and returned to his palace. He locked the wheat in a tiny gold box and placed the box in his safe. Each morning after he woke from his rest, he would open the box and look at the grain of wheat to seek his answer, but could find nothing.
Several weeks later another Wise Man, passing through, stopped to meet the King.  The King invited him to solve the delimma of the grain of wheat that was so carefully hidden away.  The King explained how he had asked the his question of peace and other Wise Man gave him a grain of wheat instead.  The King than stated that, "I have been looking for an answer every morning but I have found nothing."
The Wise Man said: "Just as this grain represents nourishment for the body, peace represents nourishment for the soul. If you keep this grain locked up in a gold box it will eventually perish without multiplying or providing nourishment.  But, if it is brought out of the box and put into the elements - light, water, air, soil - it will flourish and multiply.  Soon you will have a whole field of wheat which will nourish not only you but also  many others.
This is the meaning of peace. It must nourish your soul and the souls of others.  Peace impacts not only yourself, but all those around you."

May your day be filled with His peace.