learning from the wise

i just returned from a visit with my mom to see an elderly friend. to begin with let me tell you, she is going to be 95 years old in less than 2 weeks. she said "they are going to have to kill me on judgment day because i am so healthy." she may be a little taller than 4 ft, but she is still going strong. not only is this lady healthy, she has some wisdom.

she said one of her teachers told her 'look at the tree until you see it's beauty.' she say's "look at a person until you see his beauty." on that line she said, "all i hear from people is how bad the young folks are nowadays, but i don't see that...i see all the good they do." she is sure that there is some good in everyone. and this is the truth. she sees the good in all people. she is one of the few people around who sees good in [someone] who most think is not worth much.

she went on to talk about encouraging people. she says there is no sense in discouraging someone...it doesn't help you or that person. she claims that she hopes that throughout her lifetime, she has encouraged people. (trust me, she has definitely encouraged my family and I.)

for me going to africa, she talked about how God sent me there to bless people, but she knows i had to have been blessed by the people that i went to bless. and oh how i was blessed. you'll never know to what extent. and she will never know to what extent she has blessed me either.