I have been told a 91-year-old woman
Died after living a very long dignified life.
When she met God, she asked Him something
That had really bothered her for a very long time.
"If Man was created in God's image,
And if all men are created equal,
Why do people treat each other so badly?"
God replied that each person who enters our life
Has a unique lesson to teach us.
It is only through these lessons that we learn
About life, people and
our relationships with God.
This confused the woman,
So God began to explain:
"When someone lies to you,
It teaches you that things
Are not always what they seem.
The truth is often far beneath the surface.
Look beyond the masks people wear
If you want to know what is in their hearts.
Remove your own masks to
Let people know who you really are.
When someone steals from you
It teaches you that nothing is forever.
Always appreciate what you have.
You never know when you might lose it.
Never take your friends
or family for granted,
Because today and sometimes
only this very moment
Is the only guarantee you may have.
When someone inflicts injury upon you,
It teaches you that the human
state is a very fragile one.
Protect and take care of your body
as best as you can,
it's the one thing that you are
sure to have forever.
When someone mocks you,
It teaches you that no two people are alike.
When you encounter people
Who are different from you,
Do not judge them
By how they look or act,
Instead base it on the contents
Of what is in their hearts.
When someone breaks your heart,
It teaches you that loving
someone does not always
Mean that the person will love you back.
But don't turn your back on love,
Because when you find the right person,
The joy that one person brings you
Will make up for all of your past hurts.
Times a thousand fold.
When someone holds a grudge against you,
It teaches you that everyone makes mistakes.
When you are wronged,
The most virtuous thing you can do
Is forgive the offender
Without pretense.
Forgiving those who have hurt us is often
The most difficult and painful
of life's experiences,
But it is also the most courageous
thing a person can do.
When a loved one is unfaithful to you,
It teaches you that resisting temptation
Is Man's greatest challenge.
Be vigilant in your resistance
against all temptations.
By doing so, you will be rewarded
With an enduring sense of satisfaction
Far greater than the temporary pleasure
By which you were tempted.
When someone cheats you,
It teaches you that greed is the root of all evil.
Aspire to make your dreams come true,
No matter how lofty they may be.
Do not feel guilty about your success,
But never let an obsession with achieving
your goals Lead you to engage
in malevolent activities.
When someone ridicules you,
It teaches you that nobody is perfect.
Accept people for their merits
And be tolerant of their flaws.
Do not ever reject someone for imperfections
Over which they have no control.
Upon hearing the Lord's wisdom,
The old woman became concerned that
There are no lessons to be learned
From man's good deeds.
God replied that Man's capacity to love
Is the greatest gift He has.
At the root of kindness and love,
And each act of love also
teaches us a lesson.
The woman's curiosity deepened.
God, once again began to explain:
When someone loves us,
It teaches us love, kindness,
charity, honesty,
Humility, forgiveness, acceptance,
And all of these can counteract
all the evil in the world.
For every good deed,
there is one evil deed.
Man alone has the power
to control the balance
Between good and evil,
But because the lessons of love
Are not taught often enough,
The power is too often abused.
When you enter someone's life,
Whether by plan,chance or coincidence,
Consider what your lesson will be.
Will you teach love or
A harsh lesson of reality?
When you die, will your life
Have resulted in more loving
Or more hurting?
More comfort or more pain?
More joy or more sadness?
Each one of us has the power
Over the balance of
the love in the world.
Use it wisely!
Don't miss an opportunity
To nudge the world's scale
In the right direction!
Pass this lesson of love
on to those you love,
Those you have hurt,
And those who have hurt you,
hopefully with each person
that receives this,
there will be far less evil and
a great deal more love!
Author Unknown to me!
Thank you for visiting with me!
Joan
3-21-2009
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