Great Love

 "We can do no great things; only small things with great love." 


This quote from Mother Teresa is one of my favorite all time quotes.  For one thing it is short, to the point, and easy to remember.  For another thing it speaks directly to me.  I feel like she is my mama giving me a talking to because she knows exactly what I am thinking. 


I am a big picture person.  By big picture I mean BIG picture.  I think of these great and wonderful things that I want to do one day: write a book, adopt a child, have this life altering impact on my students, work in women's ministry, get a masters in bible and trust me the list goes on and on and changes frequently along the way ; ) Each time my ideas begin to explode or I begin to feel like an overwhelmed failure because I am not accomplishing any of these great things that I dream up, I hear a gentle whisper that says, "Sweetheart, don't you know? (Can you hear him chuckle a little to himself and shake his head?) You, can do no great things; only small things with great love."  Then I, feeling a bit foolish at this point, am able to slow down and remember that it is not I but God who accomplishes any great things, and it is the small love driven things that truly make a difference in the world.  It is never about what I do, it is about how I love the way Christ loves.  This perspective gives me such great peace and joy, so why do I always forget? 


I think I forget because I am human.  I want to be great.  I have been painfully reminded of this through Beth Moore's study on Esther that I am currently doing.  We have been taking a close look at Haman's (Ironic that his name is one letter away from human) character and unfortunately I can identify.  To get the recognition and honor of the world that I crave, I must do "great" things, as a result that is what I find myself striving for. 


I am not suggesting to accomplish some things on my list of dreams would be a bad thing.  It would be a good thing to adopt a child or write a book, but only if the path that leads me there is paved with the bricks of small things that I am doing for others with GREAT love.

P.S.  I had to edit this and make the font black (I don't know why it won't do it auotmatically).  So I apologize if this shows up twice on your blog feed.

Outdoor therapy

It is truly amazing what some perfect weather, the sweet smell of grass, and a cool soft breeze can do for the mind.  Having lived the apartment life for a few years now I often miss the luxury of a yard.  Your own little outdoor oasis.  I did not realize how much I missed it until today. 

Kurt is the new baseball coach for Hillcrest Middle School.  Now, all you coaches out there know this little fact that I am slowly but surely learning.  The baseball field (or any other sports field for that matter) is your Jewel, your pride and joy.  Its appearance is a direct reflection on you and your team.  A field primed to perfection can intimidate the visiting team, make star players wish they played for you, and even give you a little job security ; )  Therefore, in the midst of basketball season field preparation is underway.  Kurt's Dad, a coach himself, understanding this dire need took his veterans day off and hauled his top of line lawn mower and seed spreader from Brewton to Tuscaloosa.  Kurt was up by 7:30 on his day off to eat breakfast and head up to the field for a day of cutting grass, spreading rye grass, fertilizing the seed,  fixing pitching mounds, moving back stops, and having basketball practice in between.  Of course I came along to help!  This included a lot of following, watching, sitting, and some reading mixed in there.  Oh wait, I did move some bags of seed and ride on the four wheeler with Kurt while he was spreading seed : )

While I do think this is a little amusing I thoroughly enjoyed my day.  I always love being outside.  I love smelling the grass, the clear blue of the sky, the way the breeze feels around me.  I love being outside in the woods, at the lake, at the beach, in a garden, at a park, or on a ball field.  It just always has a way of calming me and clearing my head like nothing else does.  Today was no exception and definitely provided me with some great outdoor therapy after a very frustrating few weeks (more like whole semester) with my methods placement.  I do not think it is any accident that I can feel God's calming peace the most in the presence of his creation.  Thankfully, after years with out a yard of my own it looks like we just acquired a really big one!