Peace

I awoke this morning with the poem titled, “The Peace of the Wild Things” by Wendell Berry. “I come into the presence of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water.”

We poured ourselves coffee and walked through the dew-laden grass to the lake where the sun shone brightly on the azure blue ripples. The lake is calm this morning, and I’m tempted to get into a kayak, not to paddle madly, but rather, to experience the quietness of nature.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). The gift of peace from God this morning passes all understanding. It comes to the here and now in spite of the tumultuous circumstances of the past. It asks me to live in the moment and to face the future with hope.

We came up to a cottage on Lake Champlain on Monday. We’ve been here before. We’ll likely come again to this area beside the lake with the Green Mountains of Vermont rising in the background. The views from Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondacks were amazing yesterday. Laurence grilled supper on the deck. In the evening, we drove Lake Shore Road and stopped for ice cream. We turned in at a farm to see the antique John Deere tractors, and then had a long visit with the farmer’s wife.

Monday we drove a few miles to Rouses Point on the Canadian/American border and took Route 2 across Lake Champlain into Vermont. Laurence grew up by Route 2 some 2,000 miles away in Northern Idaho.

Today, we’ll likely explore the islands of South and North Hero. There’s an abandoned park with wonderful views on North Hero where we may eat our packed lunch, or maybe we’ll do this at the top of Mount Philo in Vermont with its expansive views of  the Champlain Valley.

God gift you with His peace today wherever you are. We wish you were here.

Berniece