Bringing Out the Winner
Mother Teresa was a woman of tremendous power, and not one ounce of that power came from her position. It was all about her character and personality.
In 1984, Mother Teresa‘s order of nuns, the Missionaries of Charity, went to a convent in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Their goal was to build a soup kitchen and a shelter to serve the homeless in the area. The locals weren’t too sure about that plan. They wanted the homeless out of their neighborhood; they didn’t want to invite them in with free food and shelter! Technically speaking, the neighbors did have a legal leg to stand on because the neighborhood where the nuns wanted to build the shelter was zoned for single family housing and office space. While the fight was ongoing, Mother Teresa came to town to visit the nuns in this, the newest outpost of the Missionaries of Charity. She attended mass one Sunday morning, and afterwards she asked to meet with the borough council members and business owners who opposed the shelter. They agreed to the meeting. Once everyone was in the room, Mother Teresa opened in prayer and proceeded to talk to them about the shelter. She spoke softly, barely above a whisper, according to one of the men who was there. By the time the meeting was over, every person in the room had given up their opposition to the project. Their various official positions were no match for the power and authority that she brought to the table.
If you could teach your child one thing, I would suggest you teach them the power of living a life fulfilling your God-given purpose. The best way to teach that is to live it!
John Croyle, Founder, Big Oak Ranch
Author, Who You Are/Defying the Circumstances that Define Us, Bringing Out the Winner in Your Child, The Two Minute Drill to Manhood and Raising a Princess, www.bigoak.org.
