Cheerfulness

I've started reading another book about Mother Teresa- and that woman just AMAZES me. This book has published much of her correspondance that she had wanted to have her superiors and spiritual advisors destroy, (they obviously didn't) and it's so eye opening to read the thoughts and musings of this saint.

Last night when I was reading, I came across a particular line (a Golden Line!) that struck me. The paraphrased version of this is that whenever Mother Teresa saw someone who was sad, that person must be keeping something from God.

Wow.

The seoond thing that struck me was how she wrote about the virtue of cheerfulness. So often we hear about the virtues of faith, hope, charity, etc., etc...that at least for myself, I forget that cheerfulness is a virtue- and one that I need to work on!

So many of the saints were cheerful despite their interior trials because they LOVED God and would do anything to make Him happy. It's amazing to me how when one changes his focus from himself to God, his entire life changes.

I've seen few people who manifest this virtue, but I can say that my sister Amanda is one of those people. Out of everyone I've known, despite what she was going through, she was cheerful. She didn't deny that she had difficulties, but because of her childlike faith and humility, they did not weigh on her. She trusted that she would be taken care of.

And she was.

A little while back, a friend had posted as a Facebook status that "Everyone receives a cross, but the weight of it depends on the person..." or something to that effect. I think that's true. Everyone does have difficulties. But when handled with a childlike faith, when one TRUSTS in God and abandons himself to God's will, the cross is not only lighter, but a sweet offering of love to Our Lord. The burden is transformed into an "unwritten love note" to the Beloved.

Someday, I hope to get to that point! :)

On a completely unrelated note- I'm eagerly awaiting my sonogram. Baby #2 has been swimming and rolling on my right side- and I'm actually quite surprised I've been feeling him (or her!) so early. I'm going to be 16 weeks tomorrow. Where does the time go?!?