By Steven Norris
This past week, I was talking with an educator friend. An administrator in an elementary school, he was lamenting how hard the start of this year has already been. Immediately, I thought of a sign that hangs on the wall of my office. The sign incorrectly attributes the saying to Mother Theresa, the great missionary who influenced many of my generation to service beyond self.
The sayings were originally penned by Harvard sophomore, Kent M. Keith, in 1968. He describes their origin this way: “When I was 19, a college sophomore, I wrote a booklet for high school student leaders about the motivation and methods of working together with others to bring about change. That booklet included 149 words that I called ‘The Paradoxical Commandments.’ The Paradoxical Commandments are guidelines for finding meaning in the face of adversity. The commandments subsequently spread around the world, until they had been used by millions of people in more than a hundred countries.”
Mother Theresa was so taken by the power of Keith’s words that she made them into a sign that hung on the wall of Shishu Bhavan, the Children’s home where she worked in Calcutta. The sign read as follows:
“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.”
I sent my friend a copy of the sign for his office, hoping that those words would be an encouragement to him on the days when he wonders if all the hard work is worth it. I hope that he will continue to see his work in the school system as a calling from God and that God will give him the strength needed to persevere on the days he is ready to give up. I hope he catches glimpses every now and then of the effects of his ministry — students whose lives would not be the same without a teacher, administrator, or staff member that chose to believe in them against all odds.
As we start another school year this week in our community, I pray the same for our teachers, administrators, and staff. It has been a tough season for our community and the easy thing to do would be to quit (or start the year filled with cynicism). However, I hope that our educators will remember another well-known quote from Mother Theresa as students fill the hallways and classrooms of our schools again this week: ”We can do no great things — only small things with great love.”
Love well, teachers. Our kids need you. Our community needs you.