LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE

I found this story so inspiring and felt that it can also inspire you as well.

A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco. “Mom and Dad, I’m coming home, but I’ve got a favor to ask. I have a friend I’d like to bring with me.” “Sure,” they replied, “we’d love to meet him.” “There’s something you should know,” the son continued, “he lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go and I want him to come live with us.” “I’m sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live.” “No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us.” “Son,” said the father, “you don’t know what you’re asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can’t let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He’ll find a way to live on his own.”

At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was a suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn’t know. Their son had only one arm and one leg.

The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don’t like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren’t as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are. Thankfully, there’s someone who won’t treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are.

FORGET ABOUT THE PAST AND PRESS ON, NEVER GIVE UP.

There comes a time in life when you feel you can't press on any longer simply because of the past failures. It follows that after trying and trying and trying, you arrive at a conclusion that it will never turn out in your favour. It is at this particular moment that you should encourage yourself the more of trying once again. Harriet Beecher Stowe once said that,`When you get into a  tight place and  everything goes against  you, till it seems as  though you could not  hang on a minute  longer, never give up  then, for that is just the  place and time that the  tide will turn.' This is absolutely true. Referring to the Bible also,we get to know that there is no challenge or temptation that will be formed beyond your strength, so you should forget the past failures you've ever come across and know that no condition is permanent. Sorrows and tribulations may befall you overnight but Joy comes in the morning. Sir Winston Churchill, who is well known for his motivation summed up his life in three words,`Never give up.' This was after going through various tests and failing but one day he emerged victorious. In your endeavors to live the life of your dream, determination and resilience should be your guide and finally you should never give up, the best is yet to come.

LIVING BEYOND YOUR LIMITS.

God created and empowered us to live a meaningful and successful life by default. At early stages we always aspire to become the best that we can be in various fields. However at some point,we are faced with realities  and hence compromise our dreams. This move tends to wave and shakes our stand in life which then ruins our ambitions. It is for this reason that we create Limits in life; I can do things upto this level or I cannot do that and general excuses. All these together makes our dreams unrealistic not because we cannot achieve but because we have set for ourselves limits and hence live within those limits. For one to succeed in life you need to live beyond your limits. As someone pointed out that,'people fail in life not because they aim too high and miss but because they aim too low and hit.' Break the habit today of living within your limits and comfort zone and you will realize that better or even best things are in place for you. Pursue excellence and success will follow you.