That tends to be what people focus on. Once you're a teenager, people begin to judge you based on where you are headed. So what do you want to do? What do you want to be?
This morning I found a bookmark on my desk (hidden under a multitude of papers and books and homework hi there) with a quote on it by St. Teresa of Avila: Do whatever most kindles love in you. And at first I was struck by the thought that maybe St. Teresa was lining up with this whole movement going on today that tells us all to follow our hearts, an idea I believe has become twisted in modern society. I was confused by what she might mean.
But I don't think St. Teresa was trying to tell us to just go with our feelings. She's telling us to do whatever kindles love in us.
We shouldn't do whatever we want, which is what I think this new phrase "follow your heart" is twisted to mean nowadays. This idea that has been the message of so many movies and songs and movements these days is that we should love ourselves first, above all else, and do whatever we think will make us happy, regardless of what anyone else feels or thinks. We should just follow whatever our emotions tell us.
Love is an outward thing, not an inward one. Love is wanting the good of the other. Love is sacrifice and patience and so very, very unselfish. If we do anything, it should be something that kindles this kind of love in us. Another great saint, Mother Teresa, said, do little things with great love. This should be our motto. We cannot have this selfish, "me-first", "follow-my-heart" mentality. We should always have this goal that no matter what we end up doing with out lives, true, good, unselfish love results. Not only results, but is engrained in our every little action.
No comments:
Post a Comment