One of my most admired, modern day heroines was Mother Teresa, a Roman Catholic missionary to India.
I recall when President Clinton held a prayer breakfast at the White House with all the well-known religious leaders in attendance. When it was opened for questions, she asked, “Mr. President, when are you going to try and stop abortion?” All the other spiritual leaders were embarrassed. Why? Because she was the only one with courage to stand up for the unborn.
I also remember when she received the Nobel Peace Prize in New York. The person presenting the award said that it must be difficult working in the slums and poorest villages in India? To this she answered, “No, it’s easy. All the people I minister to need the love and compassion of Jesus and that’s all I have.” She then added that she could never function in New York with the spiritual poverty there.
Please allow me to share some of my favorite quotes from Mother Teresa:
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.
Evidently, she took to heart what the Bible says in Galatians 6:9, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
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