Inner Peace

Recently we watched Kung-Fu Panda 2- I have to admit I am not a huge Jack Black fan, okay, I'm not a fan at all, so even watching an animated movie where plays the voice of the main character was less than appealing to me. That being said as we watched the movie I found some very profound truths in there. In the beginning Master Shifou is telling Po that the final lesson of Kung Fu is finding inner peace. Each person finds it in a different way, but once it is mastered your potential is increased. Throughout the movie Po is dealing with flashbacks from his childhood and discovers along the way a lot about his past, who he really is, and who he is meant to become. A couple of things that I pondered on were 1) When the world sends the waves of life rocking our boat, how do we react to that, how can we learn to deal with the rocking boat and continue on our journey, and 2) We all have that discovery process of self in this life and we have a lot of people who help us on the way. We all are children of God who have a divine purpose here on earth and we have things that we all need to accomplish on this earth, each very unique and differen,t as we strive to become more like our Savior, Jesus Christ in hopes to one day return to him.
When I was on my mission my sweet little sister sent me a letter and a note card that contained this quote by Bishop H. Burke Peterson, "One of the greatest challenges is to overcome the feeling that we are unimportant, that we are not special and unique. Do you think for a moment that Heavenly Father would have sent one of His children to this earth by accident, without the possibility of a significant work to perform?...
My dear friends, you are a royal generation. You were preserved to come to the earth in this time for a special purpose. Not just a few of you, but all of you. There are things for each of you to do that no one else can do as well as you. If you do not prepare to do them, they will not be done. Your mission is unique and distinctive for you. Please don’t make another have to take your place. He or she can’t do it as well as you can. If you will let Him, I testify that our Father in Heaven will walk with you through the journey of life and inspire you to know your special purpose here." (New Era, May 1979, pp. 4-5) I kept that note card and nearly 6 years later I still reflect on it often. I know each of us has a divine purpose here on earth, we truly are a royal generation, I know this is true.
As I've contemplated on "Inner Peace" or being at peace lately I've really tried to understand what it means to acquire peace and to let it flourish in my life. It hasn't been easy and I'm only just beginning. I often imagine myself standing on a boat staring off into the distance enjoying the sunshine, turning around for just a moment only to see a storm looming overhead, wondering what I'm going to do- metaphorically speaking, of course. Life can be hard, the waters rocky and toss us to and fro. Amidst adversity how can we still remain at peace? Marvin J Ashton said,
"Certainly peace is the opposite of fear. Peace is a blessing that comes to those who trust in God. It is established through individual righteousness. True personal peace comes about through eternal vigilance and constant righteous efforts. No man can be at peace who is untrue to his better self. No man can have lasting peace who is living a lie. Peace can never come to the transgressor of the law. Commitment to God’s laws is the basis for peace. Peace is something we earn. It is not a gift. Rather, it is a possession earned by those who love God and work to achieve the blessings of peace. It is not a written document. It is something that must come from within." (Oct 1985 Conference address)
I know I have a long way to go, but I enjoy those peaceful moments when everything in the world seems just right. The worries and stress aren't gone forever, but they seem to melt away, and I am left feeling sunshine on my face and the feeling that through God all things are possible.