Acceptance
from www.PositiveChristianity.net
A Woman Writes:
I am a mother of three children (ages 14, 12, and 3) and have recently completed my college degree. The last class I had to take was sociology.
The teacher was absolutely inspiring and possessed qualities I wish every human being were graced with. Her final project of the term was called “Smile.”
The class was asked to go out, smile at three people, and document their reactions.
I am a very friendly person and already smile and say hello to everyone, so I thought this would be a piece of cake.
Soon after the assignment, my husband, youngest son, and I went to McDonald’s one crisp March morning. It was our way of sharing special playtime with our son.
As we stood in line waiting to be served, everyone around us suddenly began to back away — even my husband. I did not move an inch. An overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside me as I turned to see why.
As I turned around, I smelled a strong, unpleasant body odor. Standing behind me were two homeless men.
I looked down at the shorter man closest to me, and he was smiling. His sky-blue eyes were full of God’s light as he searched for acceptance. He said, “Good day,” while counting the few coins he clutched in his hand.
The second man stood behind him, fumbling with his hands. I realized he was mentally challenged, and the blue-eyed man was his protector and guide.
I held back tears as I stood there with them.
The young woman at the counter asked what they would like to order. He replied, “Coffee is all, miss,” because that was all they could afford. If they wanted to sit inside and warm up, they had to buy something. He simply wanted to be warm.
That was when I truly felt it — the urge was so strong I nearly reached out and embraced the man with the blue eyes.
Then I noticed all the eyes in the restaurant were on me, judging my every move.
I smiled and asked the cashier to add two breakfast meals on a separate tray.
I carried the tray to the table the men had chosen and gently placed my hand on the blue-eyed man’s cold hand.
He looked up at me with tears in his eyes and said, “Thank you.”
I leaned over, patted his hand, and said, “I didn’t do this for you. God is here, working through me, to give you hope.”
I cried as I walked back to my husband and son. When I sat down, my husband smiled at me and said, “That’s why God gave you to me, honey — to give me hope.”
We held hands for a moment and knew that only because of the grace we had been given were we able to give.
We are not churchgoers, but we are believers.
That day showed me the pure light of God’s sweet love. I returned to college on the final evening of class with this story in hand and turned in my project.
The instructor read it, then looked up and asked, “May I share this?”
I slowly nodded as she addressed the class. As she read, I realized that as human beings — and as part of God — we share a deep need to heal others and to be healed ourselves.
In my own way, I had touched the people at McDonald’s, my husband, my son, my instructor, and every soul in the classroom on the last night of my college journey.
I graduated with one of the greatest lessons I will ever learn:
Unconditional acceptance.
May we learn to love people and use things — not love things and use people.
To handle yourself, use your head.
To handle others, use your heart.
From a Weekly Church Bulletin, May 27, 1966 (the year I was born)
Let me be a little kinder,
Let me be a little blinder
To the faults of those around me.
Let me praise a little more.
Let me be, when I am weary,
Just a little bit more cheery.
Let me serve a little more
Those for whom I am striving.
Let me be a little braver
When temptations make me waver.
Help me strive a little harder
To be all that I should be.
Let me be a little meeker
With the brother who is weaker.
Help me think more of my neighbor
And a little less of me.
— Anonymous
I LET GO OF FEAR
Help me get past my fears so that I can feel totally alive again.
I now place in the furnace of consciousness all thoughts of fear and doubt.
May I have new belief in what I do not see,
and may I have the reward of faith which is to see what I believe.
POSITIVE DAILY QUOTE:
"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men."
— Frederick Douglass