Our pastor told a story this week about Mother Teresa. In the story, her younger self had a dream about starting an orphanage with three pennies. Upon waking, she was so moved by the dream that she went to her Mother Superior and told her that she wanted to start an orphanage with three pennies.
The Mother Superior was incredulous. "You can't start an orphanage with three pennies. You can't do anything with three pennies."
Mother Teresa is supposed to have responded, "Oh, I know I can't, but with three pennies and God I can do anything."
It has been happening for so many years that I am not sure why I continue to be surprised when similar messages come to me from several directions at the same time--the same spiritual lesson that I am supposed to learn at that point in time. The Mother Teresa story was on the heels of some reading I was doing just before I went to bed the night before.
A couple months ago I wrote about my quest to complete my reading of several books on my nightstand before starting any new ones. With the fast approach of summer-reading season, the pressure is on. I finished two last week, and I am nearing the end of Marianne Williamson's A Return to Love. The book has probably been on my night stand longer than any others, perhaps two to three years. I am not sure why I struggle with it. Perhaps it is the writing style because I resonate with the messages, and every time I pick it up what I read is a meaningful reminder. Maybe I just need to pick it up periodically for a message.
In last night's reading, Williamson quoted A Course on Miracles, "If you are trusting in your own strength, you have every reason to be apprehensive, anxious, and fearful." Then, she writes, "...none of us have the capacity to work miracles, with the power that is in us but not of us, however, there is nothing we cannot do." (P.188) Hmm! Remarkably like starting an orphanage on three pennies and God.
Clearly, there is a miracle that I should be thinking about delivering with God's help. However, since my business crumbled so painfully in the dot.com Bust, bringing my personal life down with it, I have not allowed myself to dream of making miracles happen. I haven't made a conscious decision not to dream. The ideas that used to flow almost continuously just haven't been coming. My hope-generator seems to be semi-permanently stuck on "off." Quite frankly, I don't know how to flip its switches back to "on." What comes to me is that is the miracle for which I should be enlisting God's help.
Showing posts with label Mother Teresa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mother Teresa. Show all posts
Monday, June 15, 2015
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Great Advice from a Surprising Source
There are more homeless people in Washington than there should be, and on Easter Sunday they are out in force, soliciting hand-outs from people who are dressed in their best "church clothes." So it as that I was walking from having had lunch with a friend after church, when a man on a bench explained to me that he was a little down on his luck and asked for money.
Those who have read this blog for a while will recall that my encounters with the homeless have sometimes ended up being humbling for me. (See "Expect the Unexpected," 12/14/13) Why should I expect one on Easter Sunday to be any different?
I explained that I felt it was important to trade life energy with life energy. I had spent my life energy earning money, so if I were to give him my life energy in the form of money, he would have to give me something of value in exchange. He was a bit startled, and then he thought for a moment. Slowly he got a grin on his face as he pondered what he could give me. "I'll give you a quote which will change your life."
I agreed that would be a good trade, so he started with one quote, but stopped. "No," he said, "I've got a better one." Then he said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind..." I recognized it instantly as being most of the New Testament scripture of Mark 12:30. I said that I was certain that would change my life. Then I asked him, "If that is such good advice, why aren't you following it?"
A bit startled again, he told me that he prayed every day, and he told me what he prayed. "Do you listen to what God says?" I asked. He seemed dumbstruck. "God will tell you how to get out of your fix, but you have to take time to listen to what he says."
"I will," he said, "I will!"
With that I handled him some money, and I told him that I was sure he was right, "Your quote will change my life, and it will change yours, too." With that I continued on my way.
His quote was a good reminder, and my advice to him was good advice to me.
When asked how she could work with the lowest of the low in India, Mother Teresa is said to have responded, "I look at all of them as if they are Jesus in one of his most distressing disguises." I think I understand. I often think that God shows up as a homeless person to have a conversation with me that I really need to have. Today I am sure of it.
Those who have read this blog for a while will recall that my encounters with the homeless have sometimes ended up being humbling for me. (See "Expect the Unexpected," 12/14/13) Why should I expect one on Easter Sunday to be any different?
I explained that I felt it was important to trade life energy with life energy. I had spent my life energy earning money, so if I were to give him my life energy in the form of money, he would have to give me something of value in exchange. He was a bit startled, and then he thought for a moment. Slowly he got a grin on his face as he pondered what he could give me. "I'll give you a quote which will change your life."
I agreed that would be a good trade, so he started with one quote, but stopped. "No," he said, "I've got a better one." Then he said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind..." I recognized it instantly as being most of the New Testament scripture of Mark 12:30. I said that I was certain that would change my life. Then I asked him, "If that is such good advice, why aren't you following it?"
A bit startled again, he told me that he prayed every day, and he told me what he prayed. "Do you listen to what God says?" I asked. He seemed dumbstruck. "God will tell you how to get out of your fix, but you have to take time to listen to what he says."
"I will," he said, "I will!"
With that I handled him some money, and I told him that I was sure he was right, "Your quote will change my life, and it will change yours, too." With that I continued on my way.
His quote was a good reminder, and my advice to him was good advice to me.
When asked how she could work with the lowest of the low in India, Mother Teresa is said to have responded, "I look at all of them as if they are Jesus in one of his most distressing disguises." I think I understand. I often think that God shows up as a homeless person to have a conversation with me that I really need to have. Today I am sure of it.
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