Peace Within

Heaven is inside us.

I can feel it here, deep within me. It's alive. I can smell the sweet scent of its green grass. I can see its ardent sun. I can hear its birds singing. Everything in heaven is beautifully placed. Everything's calmly moving. Everything's alright.

Everything's alright even when things seem to be in havoc outside its barriers, for heaven does not believe that what doesn't feel good or isn't beautiful is all evil. It could just be a crinkle in a cloth, a knot in a hem, or a bump on a road. Like happiness, pain is just one of the ingredients of a succulent life.

Everything's still alright, for our meaningful memories are embedded in heaven's walls. Anytime, we can cling on them and dwell on them instead on the energy-wasting, unhelpful ones. Heaven never forgets beauty that's why it's beautiful.

Everything's still alright, for heaven has a welcoming, accepting, gratifying and loving atmosphere. Heaven is grace-filled 'cause it finds goodness in each situation. Ugly things pass through heaven and come out radiant.

Everything's still alright, for heaven is forever at peace.

Heaven is our peace within.

Have you looked up the sky today?

Do you love clouds? Well, I do.

I remember when my parents and I traveled to Baguio by car. I laid myself down on the back seat, facing the window. Then I looked at the clouds. They seemed to be keeping a gaze on me while we were running. Everything else below whizzed by so fast - trees, electric lines, houses - everything! While the clouds stayed on my sight and calmly got out of it.

I raised my hand and drew the outline of their curves with my index finger. I formed figures of birds, dolphin, fish and the like. I thought, looking at the sky is like having a glimpse of heaven. I had in my mind a picture of ascension: Jesus, with arms outstretched, went up to heaven. Heaven is above. Sky is above. Hence, sky is where heaven could be.

It was a long bumpy journey to Baguio. Yet, with such a refreshing sight, I fell into sleep peacefully and smiling.

That was years ago. When I got older, I rarely looked up the sky. I became too absorbed with those things that whiz by so fast - people, job, school, goals, pleasure. I started living with these things knowing that they would change and they could go. But I kept a grip on them tightly. I walked through the path to my dreams with them slipping from my hands, and me, trying to catch them. It was exhausting. It was painful. At the end of the day, I might've had everything altogether, but I would feel empty inside.

Look up. I realized that I must not forget to look up the sky again, to gaze at the clouds, to have a glimpse of heaven. When the road gets bumpy or when the waiting gets too long or when I can no longer catch up with a busy world, I must remember that there's something more than this; that above, there remains a cloud calmly moving across the sky; and that there is a God who went up to heaven with arms outstretched, light and unburdened. Perhaps, it's one way to heaven - letting go and surrendering.

My friend, have you looked up the sky today?