Learning to Pursue Peace

Mason and Missy used to argue about whether the fall leaves look brighter on overcast or sunny days. He claimed that a backdrop of clouds brings out the brightness of the leaves; she insisted that the sunshine shows the leaves’ beauty better. These days they see more than the leaves: They see that arguing over personal preferences is pointless.
 
Recently while outdoors on a rainy day, Mason and Missy could have launched into one of their classic conflicts: Whose fault is it when one of them has his back turned doing something, and the other one skulks up behind him, and then he suddenly turns around not knowing she is standing there, and the two collide? Maybe they both finally conceded that he could have been less abrupt, and she could have backed up a bit. When he turned around this time, a metal rib of her umbrella nearly poked him in the eye, but she kept her mouth shut for a change. He briefly repined but then apologized, both likely concluding that accidents happen, and at times both of them could be at fault.

Sour or Sweet?

Sadie squeezed into the cramped booth, cringing at the cracked vinyl bench. The menu looked as if it had been used as a toddler’s placemat; the gray-green walls made her feel sick. The waitress appeared with a glass of water. “Would you like a slice of lemon?” Sadie scowled. “No—why would I want my water spoiled by sour fruit?”

Sally slid into the cozy booth, admiring the diner’s nostalgic ambiance. The menu captivated her; the sage walls made her feel refreshed. The waitress appeared with a glass of water. “Would you like a slice of lemon?” Sally smiled. “Oh, yes—thank you!” She squeezed a stream of tangy juice into her water, added sugar, stirred it, and enjoyed a delicious drink.

The Case of the 

Mysterious Muscle Ache

Gingerly rubbing his left forearm, Hugo wondered how the injury had happened. For weeks his weaker arm had felt slightly and strangely sore. Then one morning he removed a voluminous volume from his desk drawer, a motion he had repeated many times during the past few weeks. Oh! Suddenly, Hugo connected the dots: The cause of this mysterious soreness was the lifting of the bulky book.

Even when only God knows what they are, there really are reasons for what we view as negatives in our lives. But in our kind heavenly Father we can safely place our trust.

Christian, Talk Carefully

We should walk carefully; we should also talk carefully. The world around us tends to sound a certain way, but should our words blend in? Not that we should sound as if we recently arrived from another planet, of course, but we should sound different from the world. This means speaking the truth in love, sharing the Gospel, discussing the Bible. Our speech should be salted with grace rather than peppered with current catchphrases, slang, and sloppy sayings. After all, Jesus spoke in a careful way; we should strive to carefully walk and talk as He did.