Lessons From Mama T, Part 1

I was the kid who went to the library, checked out 10-15 novels, and had them all read by the time the two week due date came around.  I was the kid who brought books to the park, read them at recess, and actually enjoyed Sustained Silent Reading time in school.  But then I discovered a little something we like to call Cable Television.  And lo, it was good.  And then another little invention exploded called the Internet.  And yea, it was also good.  Somehow between these two discoveries, and simultaneously being completely burned out from reading countless books for my college degree, my attention span was diminished and I found myself unable to finish a book from cover to cover.  

Long story short, of late, I find myself getting stupider.  So, in an effort to combat that, and after being inspired by a friend who has an insatiable appetite for reading, I have begun reading again.  (This decision was precluded by a decision to turn off the TV for a few days.  Honestly, when it comes to choosing between watching The Real Housewives of Anywhere versus reading a book, I will always choose those Housewives.  Know thyself.) 

The book I've chosen to read is called Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light.  It is a narrative of her life, told specifically through her private writings (letters mostly).  The reason I chose this book was, first of all, Mother Teresa has always been an interesting individual to me.  Second, I know she devoted her life to the service of others, and since I'm taking my church's Love-Serve-Live Challenge (21 days where we devote a week each to Loving God, Serving Others, and Living Big), I felt it would be beneficial for me to study the life of a person who had run the race well, so to speak.  Serving Others is probably my weakest area (well, honestly they're all very weak); I struggle especially when it comes to loving people as they are.  Most people, in all their inpredictability and imperfection, are hard to love.  And I don't like to do hard things. 

As I read the book, I am planning on posting some brief blogs about some things that impact me regarding her life.  That way, you don't have to read the book to get the "good stuff."  So here goes...
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Mother Teresa was Albanian of birth. Although she felt the call of God at twelve years of age to be a missionary, it took her six years to make a full decision to become a nun.  At 18, she embraced this calling and set sail for India.  Her missionary work in Bengal consisted mostly of teaching in a school run by the nuns for children in the area, although the children they served were not the "poorest of the poor" that she would eventually feel led to minister to. 

I am uneducated in the ways of Catholicism, so until reading this first chapter, I didn't understand why a woman would want to become a nun, other than she felt called to ministry and this was perhaps the only outlet for women to serve God in a full-time capacity within the Catholic Church.  However, I feel more enlightened after reading this chapter as to why Mother Teresa would decide to become a nun.  Apparently, the final taking of vows is similar to a marriage ceremony between the woman and Jesus - she vows her life to him, promising poverty, chastity, and obedience.  That a woman would feel so in love with Jesus that she would lay down all the comforts of life - wealth, earthly companionship, the possiblity of bearing children, privacy, independence -  to follow Him and live for Him is quite beautiful.  Mother Teresa referred to herself in letters as "Jesus' little spouse."  There's something so sweet and quaint, so unusually bright, about that phrase. 

Another thing that gripped me about Mother Teresa's start in ministry is her motivation.  A friend and fellow sister wrote to her superior saying:

I think that Jesus loves Sister Teresa very much.  We are in the same house.  I notice that every day she tries to please Jesus in everything.  She is very busy, but she does not spare herself.  She is very humble.  It cost her dearly to achieve that, but I think that God has chosen her for great things.  Admittedly, her deeds are entirely simple, but the perfection with which she does them, is just what Jesus asks of us.

She tried to please Jesus in everything.  This thought has challenged me ALL day today, this Easter Sunday.  I frequently sacrifice pleasing Jesus in my speech, my thoughts, my selfish actions, the way that I direct my day... I'll often forgo pleasing him for the immediate satisfaction of making someone laugh with sarcastic words or biting comments... Reading this has made me wonder, how much of a priority to me is pleasing Jesus?  Maybe if I just simplified my life, paring away all the unnecessaries (ahem, Housewives shows), and started from square one with the question of "Does this please Jesus?" before every action, I might be able to attain a similar communion with God...

Even more interesting is that, before she had a world-renowned ministry, before she fulfilled her calling as a missionary to the poorest of the poor, she had mastered herself.  She had a true, tested, purified relationship with Jesus before she had any public ministry.  This is not to say that she had attained perfection - reading further about her life testifies against that.  Yet her first priority was to please God, and to do everything "for Jesus, and for souls." 

I've spent a lot of time asking myself, "Does this please Jesus?" today.  I've backtracked a lot, too, after words have been said, attitudes have been displayed, and actions portrayed, thinking, "What I just did definitely did not please Jesus."  I'm challenging myself to ask if it would please Jesus BEFORE I do an action or say a word.

This is so simple, yet SO hard.  I live a life mostly devoted to pleasing Cassie, not Jesus.  Sure, there are shining moments, isolated incidents when Jesus is pleased.  But I'm sad to say that mostly, I live for my personal comfort and the conservation of my pride.  Yet, this must go if Jesus is to be pleased. 

A verse that was read at our Good Friday service is haunting me... 

What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ (Phil 3:8)

Everything is rubbish compared to the richness of knowing Jesus, of living with Him daily, of having unbroken fellowship with Him.  Everything that's not like Him MUST go.  There's no room for anything that doesn't please Him.