In May of this year, I attended a peace conference in San Jose, California, in which Brother David Steindl-Rast and descendants of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Caesar Chavez spoke. They shared about their beliefs and what their ancestors learned through lifetimes of experiences and education, all of which shaped their own teachings and led them to follow in their footsteps. The common thread in all the lives of these peacemakers is that each one accepted the responsibility of finding ways to create peace.

We are peacemakers as we create peace within our families by supporting one another, seeking help if it is needed, generating love, and living by the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” We can do all this right where we are in our neighborhoods and our communities through the way we live our lives and make decisions. We may elect leaders, but we do not depend on them to do our work. It is our responsibility to become informed, to serve, and to contribute. We can make a difference in the world!

Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Changing our world for the better begins with us, right now, today.

My husband Lee and I have been married for 55 years. Several years ago we were going through a very difficult time in our marriage. During this same period, my grandfather passed away and several other people in our extended family died. I seemed to lose any sense of peace of mind. My mother could see that I was growing increasingly depressed and she gave me a copy of Daily Word. This magazine had been a source of comfort and inspiration for her over the years.

I was uplifted as I read the positive message each day and the poems of James Dillet Freeman. Daily Word pulled me through this time of depression by reinstating my Christian faith and giving me a tool to use in moving forward with my life. I think Daily Word possibly saved my life. That is a strong statement, but I believe it’s true.

Whenever I have a difficult decision to make, I call the Silent Unity® prayer ministry. A wonderful person comes on the line to pray with me. As I listen to the heartfelt prayers that are being spoken, I am able to release whatever is challenging me. Experiencing the presence of God in the moment, I know everything is going to be all right. I let go and let God.

Many times from the 1970s to the present, Silent Unity and Daily Word have been there for me as challenges arose. One concern was for a young person in our life who had drug and alcohol addiction problems. We loved this person so much, but we didn’t have any answers, because we had never been in a situation like this before. I called Silent Unity several times, and always the person who answered my call prayed just the right prayer. I could feel that the spirit of God was working in our young friend’s life. Our prayers were answered, and he is now doing fine.

Young people are very dear to my heart, and just before Easter last year, I was taking my granddaughter to the airport when I saw three busloads of young men who looked to be her age—19 or 20—being deployed to Iraq. I began to think and pray about what I could do to help bring about peace in the world.

The next morning I wrote a letter to Unity and enclosed a donation, requesting that Daily Word and the poem Listening to Silence by James Dillet Freeman be sent to world leaders. Daily Word has been there for me during crisis. I wanted its positive, peaceful message to also be a support for people in power who are making decisions that affect the lives of all of us—our children, grandchildren, friends, neighbors, and our world.

Issues of Daily Word did go out to 747 people in leadership roles in our world accompanied by a letter that let them know that Silent Unity would be praying with them and for them as peace becomes a reality in our world.

I believe peace is a reality for each one of us as individuals; and because this is true, peace in the world is possible. As my mother often said, “A little seed sown here and a little seed nurtured there will grow and become something meaningful.” We can each sow and nurture seeds of world peace—in prayer, in thought, in word, and in action. As we do, we are preparing for a harvest of good for our world family.

Do you wonder what you can do to bring about peace on a global scale? You can make a difference in our world through these inspirational resources: