Ok so my post today is borrowed from Laura's blog.....It spoke to me so much that I just had to post it on mine for those who don't follow her blog. I don't know about most of you but after having four days off of school with the kids I was about to go crazy. I really needed to read this to bring me back to reality. Thank you Laura for posting this. I hope it helps all of you as much as it helped me. Muhhhha.
One of the problems we encounter when we first attempt to Live in Truth is that we have been so conditioned in the ways of Illusion. All our lives we’ve seen the same reaction to the same situations so we don’t even stop to realize there could be a different way to handle the situation.For example, a friend of mine lived with her older married sister during her last years of high school. One day Sharon asked her sister if she could take the car to visit some friends. The sister said she could but she needed the car back by four o’clock because she was taping an educational TV show for a local channel. Sharon said she’d be back by four and left, but once with her friends she forgot all about the time—until it was six o’clock.She hurried home, but her sister was gone. On the table was a freshly baked cake, Sharon’s favorite chocolate cake, with a note that said, “Don’t worry. I know you were having a good time. I managed to get a ride. I love you.”In a situation like this most of us have only seen someone react in anger. So when someone lets us down or doesn’t keep a promise, we do what we’ve always seen done—we get angry. But all that does is raise our blood pressure, make us tense and fill us with vexation. Instead Sharon’s sister used that energy to bake a cake. You don’t have to have an IQ of 160 to know which reaction causes the offending person to be sorry and learn a lesson. Being late with the car never happened again and many, many years later the lesson Sharon learned that day is still in her heart guiding and directing her.But what about the sister? By baking a cake instead of getting angry she escaped a great deal of unnecessary pain. She stayed in the realm of Truth where the spirit dwells. She went to the TV taping with positive energy instead of depleted from the vexation.Sometimes when we feel anger swelling in us all we need to do to stay in Truth is ask ourselves the simple question, “How else could I handle this?” and then do something good with the energy building within us.
Yesterday at church a sister spoke about charity and quoted this famous verse by Mother Teresa. It impressed me so much that I wanted to share it:
"People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.
Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway."
Mother Teresa
As a person who all too often wonders or cares what others think, these are wonderful things to keep in mind!
i'm glad you enjoyed it too! i feel like i am hiding something great to not share some of the great things i find. :)
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