Serenity

My companions and I visited Old Town Alexandria a few weeks ago—and our walk down the wharf was serene. Rain and the color gray muffled the city, and even the few brave boats only whispered. Three little missionaries were the only people in sight. Serenity.

An interesting word choice, right? Serenity is the "state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled" ("Serenity"). How do we reach that?

So many people say, "God is everywhere" (see note below). This is such a blanket statement, and I don't ponder it often; however, Elizabeth Barrett Browning inspired me: 

Earth's crammed with heaven, 

And every common bush afire with God; 

And only he who sees takes off his shoes. 

Poetry (in my own words) is raw emotion conveyed in images that are impossible to forget. The emotion of this poem teaches me that everything in the world is evidence of God. Elder Douglas L. Callister says,

"A spiritual-minded man [or woman] is observant of the beauty in the world around him . . . It pleases our Father in Heaven when we, also, pause to note the beauty of our environment, which we will naturally do as we become more spiritually sensitive. Our awareness of grand music, literature, and sublime art is often a natural product of spiritual maturity" (Seeking the Spirit of God). 

As I stood there with my companions on the dock, I could see the fingerprints of God in the world around me. The image of this poem—the allusion to Moses taking his shoes off in the presence of the burning bush—teaches me that I must respect His handiwork. 

I believe that respecting God brings calm; loving God leads to peace. Our lives can be like the Potomac river that afternoon—absolutely serene.

Note: 
We can see God in everything around us, but God Himself isn't everywhere physically. God has "a body of flesh and bone as tangible as man's" (D&C 130:22).