Ballinhassig, Ireland. Near Cork. The view from our bed and breakfast.
We sat silently on adjoining benches in the chilly Irish fall morning. The sun vainly attempted to warm the cold breath of the incessant breeze.
Wrapped in my long woolen sweater from the local mill, I was determined to keep the chill from propelling me indoors.
The view below me was too enticing to miss, cold or not, I had to sit and gaze.
Unfolded below our hilltop perch was the resplendent classic Irish countryside. A verdant patchwork quilt of emerald and gold, it was sprinkled liberally with pristine white farmhouses. Carefully separating the pastures were low hedges making organic fences, still intact from days of old.
A pastoral scene of fluffy white sheep and Holstein cattle grazing in adjacent fields added to the picture book charm. As you would expect, a ghostly mist across the rolling hills lent a magical quality to this sublime vista.
Breaking the silence, my traveling companion commented, “As the old saying goes, the best things in life are free.” A wise woman she is.
Laid before us was a beauty unparalleled, a quiet, unbroken save nature’s calling in the distance, and the playful scuffling of the pups near our feet.
It offered a mini retreat for our minds and a peaceful salve for our souls.
And it was free. A gift to us from above, purely for our own enjoyment.
As I began to breathe it in, I visibly relaxed and a smile played across my lips. If only I could bottle this feeling, this view, this peace.
Abruptly my reverie ended when Billy the pet horse spied my locale and parked his wide body in front of my view, head over the low rock wall, reaching toward me, begging for a treat.
Billy the pet horse. Begging for a snack.
As Billy jolted me back to the present I shooed him away laughingly so I could continue meditation. But it was too late. My concentration was broken. Thoughts of the day’s course, thoughts of family health, thoughts of work, came flooding in unbidden.
So easily life’s circumstances yank us from the peace we seek .
“Back to reality”, we say. But it doesn’t mean we have to wait for the next vacation.
The peace he wants to give us is always available. We just have to learn where to find it.
It cannot be found in work,
It cannot be found in possessions
It cannot be found in bank accounts.
But it exists, woven in the fabric of free things–
A beautiful sunset,
The sound of waves crashing,
A blessed companion,
The helping hand we offer,
The book he carefully and lovingly preserved for us through the ages.
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For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done. How great are your works, Lord, how profound your thoughts! (Psalm 92:4-5 NIV)
-Pray for help to find your “free” place of peace if you don’t have one.
-Use it regularly.