The Little Things

Tomorrow will mark 15 years since Mother Teresa made her transition.  For weeks she has been my mind, and I couldn’t figure out why.  I knew a little about her story (enough to be inspired by her), but hadn’t spent much time studying her work.  A couple of weeks ago, I was in the drug store picking up a card for a friend’s birthday and I saw a magazine on the stand with a striking photo of Mother Teresa on the cover.  I had no idea what the magazine was about, but I knew I needed to pick it up.  It was TIME magazine’s special edition entitled, “Mother Teresa:  The Life and Works of a Modern Saint.”  Around the same time, I was out in the garage looking for something and I stumbled upon the book about her life that I purchased years ago but never finished.

After reading the magazine, and some more of the book, I am very clear on why the Holy Spirit was reminding me of her.  She is such a powerful example of living life with the sole intention of expressing the unconditional love of God – the very way I am now focused on living my life.  She spent her life caring for “the least of these” – modeling her life after the ultimate Master Teacher, Jesus.

Around the time that she was first placed on my heart, I passed a homeless man and had the overwhelming urge to stop and talk to him.  To the dismay of the drivers behind me, who were rushing off to work or other appointments, I pulled over and said, “how are you doing today?”  He said he was doing alright and asked me if I liked jazz music.  I said “yes, of course!” and he went on to tell me that he plays the bass and had heard about Esperanza Spalding (an amazing young upright bass player and singer for those who don’t know).  We had a good back and forth about how amazing a jazz artist she is, and talked about other artists he likes.  Finally, I left him with some money and told him I’d see him soon.  He said, “It was nice talking to you.”  I agreed.   

The next day, I went back and rolled down my window to say “hello”.  I asked him if he had eaten anything that day.  He said he hadn’t, and that he would love some water.  I went to the store to get him something to eat and a couple large bottles of water and came back in about 15 minutes.  He couldn’t believe I did that, and was smiling from ear to ear!  He asked me what I did for a living and I told him that I work in education.  He asked me if I knew of any G.E.D. programs.  I told him I would research some programs and bring him back some options the next day.  I did just that.  I was able to find some free programs and talked with the coordinators to find out the schedules and requirements.  I went back the next day with everything clearly written out for him and gave him some money to take the bus to get to the locations.  He was just shaking his head in amazement.  He was SO grateful.  I am tearing up just writing about it because it took very little of my time, but blessed both of us immensely.  I have not seen him on that corner since. 

This is what Mother Teresa did EVERY day.  She helped those that most people pass by every day.  She only saw the Christ in everyone, and denied the existence of anything that countered that.  Because of her relentless awareness of the Truth about all beings, “miraculous” healings took place in her presence.  One of her sayings was “one, one, one” and it represented her commitment to doing one small thing at a time.  I really needed to hear that because I am a BIG dreamer.  I have a passion for helping others, but am always thinking so big that it sometimes paralyzes me.  Mother Teresa started out helping one community and her ministry expanded to help millions around the world.  Not because she was pushing for that, but it was a natural extension of the unconditional love and undivided attention she gave in each community in which she worked.  Here’s something that she said to someone who wanted to come volunteer in Calcutta, where she started her ministry:

“Stay where you are. Find your own Calcutta. Find the sick, the suffering, and the lonely right there where you are — in your own homes and in your own families, in your workplaces and in your schools. You can find Calcutta all over the world, if you have the eyes to see. Everywhere, wherever you go, you find people who are unwanted, unloved, uncared for, just rejected by society — completely forgotten, completely left alone.”

That is so true.  I am incredibly inspired to start small, and right in my own community.  I have so much to give that doesn’t cost a lot of money nor require the formation of a large organization.  I am so ready.  As Mother Teresa would say, “Lets do something beautiful for God.”  Who’s in?

“I never look at the masses as my responsibility; I look at the individual. I can only love one person at a time – just one, one, one. So you begin. I began – I picked up one person. Maybe if I didn’t pick up that one person, I wouldn’t have picked up forty-two thousand….The same thing goes for you, the same thing in your family, the same thing in your church, your community. Just begin – one, one, one.” ~Mother Teresa

We ALL have something to give…

Give a smile

Give a hug

Give some time

Give a compliment

Give thanks

Give compassion

Give a hand

Give non-judgement

Give peace

Give patience

Give kindness

Give forgiveness

Give LOVE

Keep shining!

~Kandace 

About the Author: Kandace Jones

I used to live life shackled by fear, doubt, and worry. I put on a happy face while navigating my day-to-day duties, but I was emotionally drained, stressed, and unhappy. When I hit rock bottom, and was diagnosed with depression and anxiety, I was determined to live life differently. I knew there had to be another way. Out of that determination, and guidance from Spirit, the "Living in the Light" blog was born. It documents my spiritual journey out of the darkness and into the Light. After nine months of publicly sharing my journey, and consciously releasing my attachment to the ego, I experienced a powerful spiritual awakening. I went from living in fear, doubt, worry, and stress to complete inner peace. My greatest passion has become assisting others on their own journey to inner peace. My spiritual memoir, From Stress to Peace: An Intimate Journal on the Journey from Living in Darkness to Living in the Light, is available now on Amazon and BN.com. Click the tabs at the top of the page to learn more about the From Stress to Peace 21-Day Challenge, Living in the Light Retreats, 1:1 sessions, and the Living in the Light Community - all of which are designed to support your journey to inner peace. I appreciate you taking the time to visit the blog and look forward to supporting you in any way I can!