The Gift of Free Will

     As the days move quickly towards the Christmas holiday, both online and brick-and-mortar stores are overflowing with consumers who want to be the first to get the latest and greatest clothing, gadget, or cellular phone.  Our world has become so materialistic that we have cast aside the most intangible and greatest of gifts- free will.

 

 

     Over a week ago, I was in St. Terrence Church listening to Father Mulcahy’s homily where he spoke about this great gift.  He related that free will was bestowed upon humankind to do with whatever he/she chooses-  mostly for good, but sometimes bad as well.  Sticking to the holiday season, let’s take a look at examples of each. 

     On the good side- every year St. Terrence sponsors a giving tree to help needy families in the church community.  Parishioners are asked to take an ornament off the tree which contains a family’s request of essential items.  What you find is not a request for the latest and greatest, but rather everyday items such as clothing, toilet paper, paper towels, etc.  No one is commanded to take an ornament from the tree-  it is something that is done of a person’s own free will.  This drive has always been very successful, and most certainly makes the Christmas season brighter, as well as ease the burden of these families.

     On the bad side- we also hear about fundraising organizations being robbed of gifts that were slated for distribution to the needy.  Other stories talk about tempers flaring and punches thrown in the name of getting the last, most coveted, item on the shelf.  In these cases, none of the perpetrators were under duress requiring them to take from or injure another- it was again done of their own free will.  The motivation behind the aforementioned stories is never clearly defined.  It is just a stark reminder that some choose to take a destructive path in life.  So what is the point of all these thoughts that I have penned to paper?

 

 

     The call to action that I ask of my readers is to decide not only what you want to do with your gift of free will during the holiday season, but every day for the rest of your lives.  Paying it forward is the greatest gift we can give to ourselves and humanity.  Use of free will in a constructive manner is the best way to advance the cause of making the world a better place to live before we leave it.  Keep in mind we are not perfect beings, and every once in a while we may veer off track.  However, that’s okay as long as we get back up, dust ourselves off, and course correct (thanks for this one Dr. Deb).  In the grand scheme of things if we do more good than not good, we will make this world much brighter.  So, what are you going to choose to do with your gift of free will?  Just some food for thought.  The following inspiration poem sums up this post the best:

Anyway - what Mother Teresa has to say...

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

~~~
by Mother Theresa and/or Dr. Kent Keith (*)

 

NOTES:

1. (*) The verses above was reportedly written on the wall of Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta, India, and are widely attributed to her. And some sources say that the words were written on the wall in Mother Teresa's own room. However, these words are based on a composition originally by Kent Keith, but much of the second half has been re-written in a more spiritual way. Both versions of this poem are shown on this page - www.prayerfoundation.org/mother_teresa_do_it_anyway.htm

In health and wellness,

Tim