"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 true enemies; Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis it is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway."
-Mother Teresa
The story of this video is a scene I have fun imagining: a group of people standing on a busy city corner, waiting for the white walk sign to appear. Each an individual, alone with their thoughts in the crowd. Each is writing their own thoughts in the air, each with their own dreams, needs, hopes, choices, regrets and plans. A crowd of individuals.
This is Martina McBride singing "Do It Anyway." Similar words, similar concepts, similar inspiration to Mother Teresa's poem. The challenge is to remember: dream, believe, work, build, to Do It Anyway.
"God is great, but sometimes life ain't good,
And when I pray,
It doesn't always turn out like I think it should,
But I do it anyway...I do it anyway."
When I was discouraged several years ago my mother read me this poem over the telephone. She was reading it from the back of her church bulletin. It helped me to accept some of life's injustices knowing that someone wrote these truths and so must understand. Focusing on living for the Lord to me is like sometimes wearing the black blinders that the Amish horses here wear on their head to keep their eyes on the road. But in our case we keep our eyes on Jesus.
ReplyDeleteThank you,
Karen A.