|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Do Small Things with Great Love |
|
What we need is to love without getting tired. How does a lamp burn? Through the continuous input of small drops of oil. What are these drops of oil in our lamps? They are the small things of daily life: faithfulness, small words of kindness, a thought for others, our way of being silent, of looking, of speaking, and of acting. - Mother Teresa
Sometimes a kind gesture may not take much time but it may take a lot of effort. It's not easy to call or visit a friend who has received bad news - a serious illness, an automobile accident, or losing a loved one, for example. Before I make one of those calls or visits, I try to spend some quiet time with God, asking for His guidance in knowing what words of comfort to offer. I have learned that short of spouting out a bunch of inane clichés, the person who is hurting won't remember what you say but will remember that you cared enough to be there for them at a difficult time. In my mind, Mother Teresa was the epitome of kindness. Humbly and simply with no fanfare, she practiced her ministry of faith and love in the poverty and squalor of Calcutta, India. She sought out those who needed her most: the lepers, the homeless, the dying. Through the Order of Missionaries of Charity which she founded in Calcutta in 1953, she was eventually able to reach out to countless needy people all over the world. How did she practice her faith? By reaching out to those less fortunate, offering them love, kindness, and hope. By reaching out to one downtrodden person at a time. There were skeptics who said she was undertaking a task that was way too big for her - they said she would never succeed. She silenced her critics by making a difference in the lives of many people, one person at a time. I sometimes wonder what, if anything, my friends and family will remember about me when I'm gone. Perhaps even more important is what I'd like for them to remember. I don't want them to remember the long hours I had to work at certain times in my career, but I do want them to know that I love what I'm doing now - so much so that I can't wait to get to work every day! I hope they don't remember the times I lost my temper and got angry, but I hope they will remember the times I was there for them - with a hug, a kind word, or perhaps just a listening ear. I hope they don't remember all those years I spent living in a fog, but rather I hope they remember the years after I woke up - I hope they can appreciate how far I've come and understand how much courage it has taken. How would I like to be remembered? I would like my epitaph to simply read: "She did small things with great love."
|
