A very long time ago I bought a flip cell phone. I was told it had no "bells and whistles."  "It’s just a phone," the salesperson said. I believed her, and never thought of it as a camera too, until a friend pointed out the lens on the phone's back.  Doh!

Which reminds me a little of ourselves.  Human beings. We do come with bells and whistles, but we don't believe that about ourselves.

Costa Rica is an uber-wise country, that was the first (among 20 others) to formally abolish their military forces. What kind of people behave like that?  Who has the nerve to feel safe without armed forces?  People who are aware of their bells and whistles and aware of their ability to cultivate higher attributes.

Peace, has a strategy and so do I. It started with a rumble inside that no longer accepted the fearful stories I was auto-fed.  It started by remembering in Whose Image I am made. It started by recognizing myself as a bell-ringing, whistle-blowing peacemaker who can make a difference by being a difference.

 

Peacemakers

Blessed are those who
speak the words that calm us,
quiet us, and bring us back to you.
Blessed are those who,
with a look or a touch,
still the fear that leads to hate.

Oh, help me to be
one of your peacemakers.
Where there is strife,
Help me bring calm.
Where there is pain,
Help me bring healing.

As I go through my day
and make the world a better place,
help me reflect Your light, Your love,
and Your ever-present wisdom.

"HOW DO YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE?"