My dear daughter,
A few weeks ago I wrote you a letter which I began with a quote from Isaiah 30:15: “In returning and rest shall you be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.” This scripture is centred on peace of mind, and I’ll like to continue on this theme in this letter to you.
I’ll begin this letter with a passage from Mark 4:35 -41.
‘On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?”
My take away from this passage is that we can calm the storm in our minds and our emotional turmoil by commanding it to quiet down, to stop being all over the place with thoughts and imaginations that disturb our peace of mind. Taking a firm hold of our thought patterns can keep our minds clear and heart at peace. It may be a mad world on the outside, but we should strive to ensure that we are calm within our being.
‘On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him.’
- “And a great windstorm arose”: This is akin to what we are faced with every day; the great windstorms of life that we think will overwhelm us. Oftentimes chaos surrounds one in every imaginable direction.
- “The waves were breaking into the boat”: That chaos, which surrounds us, seems to be driving us to the breaking point.
- “So that the boat was already filling”: It gets to a point where we think we are no longer able to cope.
“But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him,”
- “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”: When you get to this point, it is time to have recourse to the innate powers in you.
- “And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!”: You should awake! And command your being to “Be Still!”
- “And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”: This restores your equilibrium and your balance.
- “He said to them, “Why are you so afraid?”: You really have nothing to fear but fear itself.
- “Have you still no faith?”: Faith in yourself and faith in your God will make you whole.
Calmness is within our power to attain. Taking a hold of your thought patterns personally keeps your mind clear and your heart at peace. Of course, life can be quite hectic! Sometimes chaos surrounds you in every imaginable direction. Just because the world around you is in disarray, doesn’t mean the world within you has to be too.
My beloved daughter, Peace! Be still!
Love you always,
Dad