Good morning…

I am not sure why the Spirit nudged me to google: “Mother Teresa quotes.” I suppose I was looking for a bit of wisdom from a woman who loved well, loved both our God and the hurting people around her. The following poem was reportedly inscribed on the wall of the home she founded for orphaned children in Calcutta, India. The original version of the poem, written by Kent M. Keith in 1968, was expanded upon by the Holy Spirit living in the humble heart of Mother Teresa.

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Mother Teresa’s Anyway Poem

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 your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

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When we feel cheated or destroyed, forgotten or “not-enough,” let’s simplify our focus to these basic verbs. Forgive. Be kind. Succeed. Be honest. Build. Be serene. Do good. Give your best. Living on and loving well is between us and our God.

Open up before God, keep nothing back;
    he’ll do whatever needs to be done (Psalm 37:5, MSG).

…Sue…