Two friends walked through a desert. During a disagreement, one friend slapped the other. Hurt and silent, the one who was slapped knelt down and wrote in the sand: “Today my friend hurt me.”

Later, they reached an oasis and began to swim. The same friend who slapped him began to drown, and the other friend saved his life. When they reached safety, he carved into a stone: “Today my friend saved my life.”

Puzzled, the friend asked, “Why did you write it in the sand when I hurt you, and in stone when I helped you?”

He smiled and replied, “When someone hurts us, we should write it in sand where the winds of forgiveness can erase it. But when someone does good to us, we must engrave it in stone where nothing can erase it.”

Forgiveness is a resting place for the healed heart. Gratitude is the anchor that keeps peace at the center of our lives. Together they free us from bitterness and open our hearts to the peace Christ promised.

Paul calls us to forgive as the Lord forgave us, and to let thankfulness flow through everything we do. When forgiveness becomes our posture and gratitude becomes our perspective, God’s peace rules within us.