Love And Forgiveness For The Holidays

As we gather together with our families this year for a Thanksgiving meal and sweet fellowship, I can hardly enjoy the thoughts of seeing family and friends without being made aware of the oncoming onslaught of the commercialism of the Christmas season.

If you are bothered by this thought as much as I am, I offer this poem attributed to Mother Teresa and this beautiful video that capture the spirit of her words.

Maintaining a thankful heart and a gracious spirit (especially to those who are neither thankful or gracious) is the heart of Christianity.

Living a life of thanksgiving during our hectic schedules is often stressful.  It seems we just finish our Thanksgiving meal and we are catapulted into a shopping, planning, buying, wrapping frenzy.

If you find yourself caught up in the frenzy, remember these words from Mother Teresa and love – anyway.

This is the perspective God has given me for the holiday season. I will do my best to remember it. These are soothing, encouraging words that cut through all my thoughts about the hustle and bustle to come.  These are words that help me and I hope they encourage you.

ANYWAY
(Inscribed on the wall of
Mother Teresa’s children’s home in Calcutta
and attributed to her)

People are often unreasonable, illogical 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 false 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 building, someone could destroy overnight;
BUILD anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous;
BE HAPPY anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten tomorrow;
DO GOOD anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
GIVE the world your best anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and GOD;
It was never between you and them anyway.

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