Peace-Lovers vs. Peace-Makers

Thomas a Kempis once said, "All people desire peace, but very few people desire those things that make for peace." That's another way of saying, there is a difference in this world between those who are peace-lovers and those who are truly peace-makers.

There are so many people in our world who say they love peace, but what they are really saying is that they don't want to be bothered. They turn away from necessary conflict and ignore dangerous evils hoping they will just go away. Someone who is truly a peacemaker, on the other hand, is one who is willing to struggle, to confront, one who doesn't look away but willing to deal with difficult things.

I Just Want to be Happy

How many times have you heard that phrase? Personally, I'm tired of hearing it. I think to myself, "so be happy already and stop talking about it." However, what most people probably mean to say is, "I want someone or something to MAKE me happy." Well, it doesn't work that way.

Keep in mind this is just my insensitive opinion, but no thing or person can make you happy. That is a conscious decision you make for yourself. It is being content and satisfied with your situation and most importantly, satisfied with the destination of your eternal soul.

There are plenty of underprivileged people that are happy and satisfied with life. There are also plenty of unhappy people that have more money than they can spend and more "friends" than they can count. So, we're back to something outside and beyond material things.

Quite frankly, I think most people in the US have too many "things" trying to make them "happy" and they've forgotten how to "live joyfully." Take a trip to another country where people are thankful for clean water and an education, think about where you will go when you leave this earth, and then hopefully you can shut up and "be happy" already!

Go in peace; my rant is now over.