Realm of reality...

Something for us to ponder...

Nudge the Balance
=================

A 91-year-old woman died after living a very long
dignified
life. When she met God, she asked Him
something that had really
bothered her for a very long time. "If Man was
created in God's
image, and if all men are created equal, why do
people treat
each other so badly?"

God replied that each person who enters our life
has a unique
lesson to teach us. It is only through these
lessons that we
learn about life, people and our relationships with
God.
This confused the woman, so God began to
explain:

"When someone lies to you, it teaches you that
things are not
always what they seem. The truth is often far
beneath the
surface. Look beyond the masks people wear if
you want to know
what is in their hearts. Remove your own masks to
let people
know who you really are.

When someone steals from you it teaches you
that nothing is
forever. Always appreciate what you have. You
never know when
you might lose it. Never take your friends or family
for
granted, because today and sometimes only this
very moment is
the only guarantee you may have.

When someone inflicts injury upon you, it teaches
you that the
human state is a very fragile one. Protect and take
care of
your body as best as you can, it's the one thing
that you are
sure to have forever.

When someone mocks you, it teaches you that no
two people are
alike. When you encounter people who are
different from you, do
not judge them by how they look or act, instead
base it on the
contents of what is in their hearts.

When someone breaks your heart, it teaches you
that loving
someone does not always mean that the person
will love you
back. But don't turn your back on love, because
when you find
the right person, the joy that one person brings
you will make
up for all of your past hurts. Times a thousand fold.

When someone holds a grudge against you, it
teaches you that
everyone makes mistakes. When you are
wronged, the most
virtuous thing you can do is forgive the offender
without
pretense. Forgiving those who have hurt us is often
the most
difficult and painful of life's experiences, but it is
also the
most courageous thing a person can do.

When a loved one is unfaithful to you, it teaches
you that
resisting temptation is Man's greatest challenge.
Be vigilant
in your resistance against all temptations. By
doing so, you
will be rewarded with an enduring sense of
satisfaction far
greater than the temporary pleasure by which you
were tempted.

When someone cheats you, it teaches you that
greed is the root
of all evil. Aspire to make your dreams come true,
no matter
how lofty they may be. Do not feel guilty about
your success,
but never let an obsession with achieving your
goals lead you to
engage in malevolent activities.

When someone ridicules you, it teaches you that
nobody is
perfect. Accept people for their merits and be
tolerant of
their flaws. Do not ever reject someone for
imperfections over
which they have no control."

Upon hearing the Lord's wisdom, the old woman
became concerned
that there are no lessons to be learned from man's
good deeds.
God replied that Man's capacity to love is the
greatest gift He
has. At the root of kindness and love, and each act
of love
also teaches us a lesson.
The woman's curiosity deepened.
God, once again began to explain:

"When someone loves us, it teaches us love,
kindness, charity,
honesty, humility, forgiveness, acceptance, and all
of these can
counteract all the evil in the world. For every good
deed,
there is one evil deed. Man alone has the power to
control the
balance between good and evil, but because the
lessons of love
are not taught often enough, the power is too often
abused.

When you enter someone's life, whether by plan,
chance or
coincidence, consider what your lesson will be.
Will you teach
love or a harsh lesson of reality? When you die,
will your life
have resulted in more loving or more hurting? More
comfort or
more pain? More joy or more sadness? Each one
of us has the
power over the balance of the love in the world.
Use it wisely!"

Don't miss an opportunity to nudge the world's
scale in the
right direction!

Pass this lesson of love on to those you love and
those you have
hurt, and those that have hurt you, hopefully with
each person
that receives this, there will be far less evil and a
great deal
more love!

~Author Unknown~