The Loveliness Of Silence

[MajestyJo]

The Loveliness Of Silence



No one's ever heard a butterfly,
It cannot speak nor sing,
It just hovers quietly around,
And shows off its pretty wings.

Each tiny wing - a masterpiece,
Of intricate design,
With hues that blend and complement,
So tranquil and refined.

And no one's ever heard a firefly,
Turn on its tiny light,
Without a click, it flips its switch,
And makes no noise in the night.

And there it is, in all its glory,
Its wee light flashing off and on,
Until it disappears in silence,
Along with moths across the lawn.

And what about white fleecy clouds,
That aimlessly drift by?
They help us dream of things unseen,
Though we can't hear them in the sky.

Like soft meringue, they peak and hang,
Soundlessly above the ground,
They tantalize our seeking eyes,
We watch in awe; they make no sound.

Puffs of smoke from chimney tops,
Come skipping through the air,
Gentle breezes make them dance,
What lovely visions there.

But we can't hear a puff of smoke,
Nor can we hold it in our hands,
But we can watch it float away,
Silently across the land.

First snow of Winter on the ground,
Untouched, unmarked, pristine,
Lace-like frost on window panes,
Crystal icicles that gleam.

Impressive beauties, everyone,
That inspire men to whisper,
To not disturb the reverie,
Of such a wondrous mixture.

A white, full moon on a still, black night,
With a host of silver stars,
Free to see and wish upon,
And spend lovely, quiet hours.

In splendid stillness, lies that night,
With peaceful beauty there,
Which forces one to bended knee,
In grateful, silent prayer.

A baby's smile, a sleeping child,
A napping cat upon a lap,
Pleasurable and treasurable,
All silent joys that entrap.

True, a picture's worth a thousand words,
Though it never makes a sound,
It communicates in ways unheard,
And lasts forever and beyond.

It's the lovely, silent things we see.
That our ears will never hear,
That speak loudly to our listening hearts,
Distinct, succinct, and clear.

We're grateful that God gave us ears,
To hear His awesome sounds,
Yet the loveliness of silence,
Is wondrous, too, when it is found.

Virginia (Ginny) Ellis
Copyright January 2005
used with permission

[MajestyJo]

How would you rate your level of "Inner Peace"?
Enough to stay calm in a den of lions?
Enough to get through a good day?
Enough for the next five minutes,
so long as everybody leaves you alone?

You may need a good case of inner peace,
a disease that could leave you stress-free
and contented for years to come.
A chiropractor named Jeff Rockwell
composed a list he calls
"Symptoms of Inner Peace."
You may have already caught this disease!
See how many of these symptoms you exhibit:

1.
A tendency to think and act
spontaneously rather than from
fears based on past experiences.

2.
An unmistakable ability
to enjoy each moment.

3.
A loss of interest in judging self.

4.
A loss of interest in judging others.

5.
A loss of interest in conflict.

6.
A loss of interest in interpreting
the actions of others.

7.
A loss of ability to worry
(this is a serious symptom).

8.
Frequent,
overwhelming episodes of appreciation.

9.
Contented feelings of connectedness
with others and nature.

10.
Frequent attacks of smiling
through the eyes of the heart.

11.
Increasing susceptibility to love
extended by others as well as
the uncontrollable urge to extend it.

12.
An increasing tendency
to let things happen.

Inner peace is a communicable disease
that could possibly infect
your home or workplace.
You may already be showing signs of it
and quite possibly be passing it along to others!

Rockwell warns:
"If you have all or even most
of the above symptoms,
please be advised that your condition
of PEACE may be so far advanced
as to not be treatable."

Have you caught it?