Inspiration from Mother Teresa

This is one of my all-time favorite quotes and I've been thinking about it recently, so I thought I would share it with you all:

“People are often unreasonable, irrational, 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 unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.  Succeed anyway.  If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you.  Be honest and sincere anyway.  What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.  Create anyway.  If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.  Be happy anyway.  The good you do today will often be forgotten.  Do good anyway.  Give the best you have and it will never be enough.  Give your best anyway.  In the final analysis, it is between you and God.  It was never between you and them anyway.”
-Mother Teresa

I think that as an American, or maybe just as a human being, this is hard for me to follow.  Why should I do anything if it will not change, and if my efforts will not matter, then isn't it worthless?  If I teach the children at school about themes and metaphors and similes and they retain nothing, I will feel as if I have failed, and in some sense that is true.  But the important thing is not success, the important thing is for me to do everything I can for them - not for my own gain or even for theirs, but for the Lord.  Even if we never see the fruits of our labor, God calls us to keep creating and loving and finding joy in all things.  And as we do, we come closer to His heart, which is perhaps the greatest success of all.