President’s Corner: Want Peace? Uncross those Arms

Is it really possible for the world to change?

If you’ve ever asked yourself that question, you’re not alone.

There are seasons in my life where I begin to wonder if I’m making much difference at all. The to-do list seems to grow longer each day and my mind becomes flooded with all the things that I need to get done. Mixed with the gnawing feeling that there just isn’t enough time to do it all I can leave me believing that it’s just not possible. 

I feel this way about the world sometimes. The problems seem endless. According to major news outlets there is more bad going on in the world than good right now. There are thousands of like-minded NGOs like us out there who were founded to address a desperate need somewhere in our society. And the needs only continue to grow. I can’t help but wonder sometimes, are we really making a difference?

Creating peace is like unraveling a ball of tangled yarn; it is difficult to find where to begin. But nothing will be accomplished by sitting with arms crossed. - Mother Moon, WFWP Founder (Mother of Peace Memoir)

Mother Moon is so spot on in this quote, and also so perfectly practical. Peace, whether that’s within myself or in the wider world, can sometimes seem an impossible task. Like unraveling a thousand Christmas lights that have been stuck in storage for the last year. You can’t help but question “will we ever get to the end?” But is the alternative any better? Even though it seems like an impossible task, should we just give up?

Even though it's hard, even though it sometimes feels hopeless, we have to start somewhere. It’s very likely that the place you end up starting may be wrong and you’ll have to back track and try again. But the truth is, you won’t find the best place to start until you begin somewhere.

So, as Mother Moon says, let’s uncross those arms. Let’s dust off our overalls and let's get to work. Women, especially, know that it takes practical hardwork to build peace in our marriages and homes. And it takes practical hardwork to see change in our society. It’s not always the most glamorous work and we may not get recognized for it…. But this is the work that gets us to where we want to be… peace in our homes, and peace in our world.