Success rarely comes without hard work, but work hard and you’ll reap the rewards of it. Athletes train day in and day out to accomplish success on the field or on the court. Career professionals study several years in order to graduate and be successful in a job. Just because people have become successful in their ventures does not mean they didn’t have to overcome obstacles along the way.

Athletes get exhausted or even injured in the training process, but those who are truly dedicated to the training will push through and fight harder. Students in school often get stressed out and bogged down with homework, but those who are truly dedicated to learning will push through the struggles to receive the reward of a diploma and the satisfaction of fulfilling a goal or finding a good job.

Likewise, walking with Christ is a life-long journey that’s not always glamorous. In fact, the Bible tells us that those who believe in Christ and follow Him will experience persecution and struggles along the way.

“Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me” (John 15:20-21).

Even though we probably will face struggles throughout our journey with Christ, the reward that comes with living for God far outweighs the trials that one will face. Eternal life and all the blessings and provision and intimacy that come from the Lord cannot be experienced fully when one cuts out of the race. We should not quit or give up because things get hard. If everyone did that when times were difficult, no one would get anywhere in life. Those who are truly dedicated to following Christ will run harder in the race.

It’s hard to run the race alone. When struggles come, it’s a lot easier to quit when there is no a support system in place to encourage the person to press on. We weren’t meant to go though struggles or life alone. God made Eve so Adam would have a companion in life to share in his struggles and encourage him, and likewise, Adam was to do the same for Eve. Just like these two characters, we need people in our lives that will share in our joys and struggles and encourage us when we’re at our breaking point. As believers and followers of the same God, we are connected in Christ and should lift one another up. We need to be that voice of strength to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ that we might rally one another to press on in the race towards the reward God has in store for His good and faithful servants.

Life is often crazy and leads us to unexpected places. Our choices affect where we will end up, and sometimes we don't always make the best ones. Getting into a pattern of making wrong decisions can lead us to places we never thought we'd be and turn us into people we never thought we'd become, and this can make us wonder, "How did I get here?"

It only takes one bad decision to start a spiral down the wrong path. It only takes one drink, one puff, one lie, even one rude act to get us off track and headed towards a place we've never been. So what do you do when you wake up one morning and don't recognize who you are or where you're headed in life?

The only good thing about treading far from where you were and who you wanted to be is that you can also go back. Even though bad choices cannot be reversed, they can be corrected. They can become lessons learned and wisdom to be imparted to someone else later, and for the ones who finally realize this, Father will be there waiting with open arms full of grace to lead you home.

All it takes is one choice, one decision to turn around and start heading in the right direction - one simple "no" to something you no longer want to be a part of. Sometimes the first step is the hardest part for many people, especially when we feel like we've done things so horrible they can't be forgotten or forgiven. But the reality is there is nothing in this world we could do to lose God's love for us. There is no amount of bad choices we could make that would cause Him to turn away and leaves us in a place we don't want to be. "

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). After all, God is a God of love, and He would leave the ninety-nine just to find the one, just to bring you back.

Saint Francis once said, "Preach the Gospel at all times, if necessary use words." I think this is a great way to evangelize to a broken world that's in need of Christ's love and the gift He is offering to all. We can preach the Gospel at all times because evangelism goes deeper than just the words we speak to other people. We can share the Gospel with others through every aspect of our life. We can demonstrate the Gospel through our actions and behaviors towards one another as well as with our words.

The Gospel of Christ is the good news, and the good news is all about love - how "God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

We can then use God's example to treat other people with the same love God gave to us. After all, God's second greatest command is to "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39). This command is evident in many passages. Luke 10: 27 says to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, love your neighbor as yourself."

Not only are we to love our neighbors or those who are kind to us, but even our enemies are to receive love. Luke 6:27-28 puts it like this: "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." This truth may be hard for some to swallow, but everyone needs love, even those who make it difficult. Since Christ loves each and every one of us, we owe Him our life, our love, and our willingness to love the rest of His creation. This task of loving other people can be scary to many because sometimes we just don't want to love people who treat us badly.

Preaching the Gospel at all times doesn't have to be scary like many of us would assume it to be. Love can be demonstrated in the smallest action or simplest word. Complimenting a classmate's wardrobe or holding a door open are both little acts that display our love for people. Now with that said, small gestures are by no means a replacement for sharing God's love verbally. As believers in Christ and God's messengers, we should always be seeking opportunities to make a difference in someone's life by speaking truth into their heart.

In the meantime, we should always be shining our lights into the darkness and expressing ourselves through love to those we meet. Preaching the Gospel is both a verbal and behavioral task. And as we go out into the world, let us go in all boldness and without hindrance just as our brother Paul did when he was preaching the kingdom of God.

Sarah Smith grew up in Oklahoma and graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with an English degree. She loves being a child of God and serving in missions. She has gone on trips to Germany and London and served a recent term of five and half months in London as a missionary intern. She recently applied to seminary and is looking forward to attending Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in the fall to study Christian Counseling.

Picture this. You walk into church this Sunday to find that all the seats have been removed. Rows of buffet style serving lines are in their place. Everyone is instructed to get a serving of whatever spiritual food he or she desires. Many rush to the dessert section to load up with joy, peace, prosperity...you get the picture.buffet.jpg

As you make your way through the line, you realize that one item is left untouched. A generous supply of suffering sits under the heat lamp.

You have a decision to make. Dish yourself a generous helping, dip out a mere mouthful like you did as a kid with the vegetables your mom made you eat, or leave it completely untouched like the others ahead of you in line.

If you're anything like me, your first instinct is just to roll on by. After all, everything about our human instinct tells us to avoid suffering at all costs. But in God's economy, suffering has great value.

Ecclesiastes 7:3 (NLT) says, "Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us."

It's hard to fathom that sorrow could possibly be better than laughter, but more often than not we grow far more in seasons of suffering than in seasons of success. And if our end game is to be like Christ, the­re's just no possible way to achieve that without suffering.

Romans 8:17 (NIV) says, "Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."

Now God isn't commanding us to go out and intentionally seek suffering, especially when it's suffering brought on by our own sin. But when difficult times come our way, He is calling us to receive them with joy (check out James 1:2-4). He longs for us to become spiritual grown-ups, and He knows that suffering is one of the most effective ways to help us get there. But thankfully, Christ makes sure that we do not have to endure our season of suffering alone. 2 Corinthians 1:5 (NIV), "For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows."

So if you're struggling today, turn to Christ for comfort. He's no stranger to suffering, so there's no better hand to hold on the journey. I know it's tough, but hang in there and let the refining influence take full effect in your life. And when all is said and done, you just might find yourself looking a lot more like Christ.

Talk is cheap...unless you go over your allotted cell phone minutes. Then it becomes very, very expensive. You see, the wireless powers that be have the right to monitor how you use your mobile time and to charge you accordingly. And at the end of the day, you (or your parents) are accountable to pay what is owed.

But most likely, it's not you who is worried about the cell phone bill. It's probably your parents who want an explanation for why you sent 1,000 texts last month. In your mind, texting non-stop seems harmless because you've never had to pay for it.

And grace is just as easy to take for granted. After all, we didn't have to pay for it, but Christ certainly paid a lot in order for us to receive it. So as receipients of that grace, we should be motivated to live in a way that demonstrates our gratitude.

Romans 12:2 tells us, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

Basically, we're to be standouts in a world of copycats. We're to be conformed to the image of Christ rather than the pattern of the world. And one of the best ways to make that transition is to put yourself in a place/relationship where you have to be accountable for your choices.

This month's Girls United focus is "Accountability: Paving the Way for Spiritual Change," and we're issuing a challenge for you to find an accountability partner(s) and begin meeting this summer. To help you get started, we've put together a few resources for you, including a weekly discussion guide you can use to jumpstart your accountability time each week. Check it out:

Accountability Ground Rules and Covenant Sheet

Accountability Weekly Question Guide

If you consistently allow others to speak truth into your life, I promise that your spiritual walk will never be the same. So take the challenge. Get real this summer and take the plunge into the rewarding world of godly accountability.

Ninety-eight...ninety-nine...one hundred! Ready or not, here I come! I always hated being the seeker in hide and seek because it was so frustrating when I couldn't find who I was looking for. Some people can find really good hiding places, which would make the search for them even more difficult. But as I think about it, it wouldn't be much fun if I opened my eyes to find one of the hiders sitting on the couch in plain sight. The whole thrill of the game is the catch, finding who you're looking for. It can be frustrating, but when you do finally find someone who's been hiding in a really good place, it makes the game and the time spent searching for them feel so much more worth it. It gives us a sense of accomplishment for being able to seek out someone who was hidden really well.

Sometimes I think this same idea applies to our walk with God. It may happen when we're walking through life and come to a split in the road and have to decide which way to go, or it may happen when a storm comes and we need to find shelter and answers to life's struggles. Either way, when these situations occur, it is our turn to go looking and seek God to show us the way.

Seeking Him in difficult circumstances can be hard for us, especially when we are humans who always want answers here and now without having to wait, but with God we can't always expect that. God always has a perfect time to reveal Himself to us and show us what to do next. If we never had to seek after God and he always showed Himself right whenever we asked, we wouldn't ever grow more patient or learn persistence. We wouldn't learn to trust Him in the hard and painful times or when we can't see what's up ahead.

God has sought us from the beginning when we were living in darkness and showed us the way home. He continues to seek those who haven't turned to Him yet, and He also seeks those who have turned away or strayed from the path. So when we are looking for answers or guidance or standing in the middle of a storm, that's when it's our time to go seeking all the hidden truths God is waiting to reveal.

We often get caught up in the do's and don'ts of modest dressing and totally skip the 'why'.  What's the big deal anyway? Why does the length of your shorts or the width of your tanktop straps really matter? There are many reasons, but I'd like to tell you about three.

1. First, we choose modesty because it sets us apart. Romans 12:2 says, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world..." What is the pattern of this world?  It is to show as much as you can as often as you can. We take a stand for our faith when we choose to cover up. We are a witness to others in the way we dress.  Possibly even more effective than the cross around your neck or the fish on your car is a tank under a spaghetti strap top that says you will not conform to the world's model - you are set apart!
2. The second reason we choose modesty is to prevent putting a stumbling block in our brother's, and for that matter, our sister's way. Romans 14:13 tells us, "...make up your mind not to put a stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way." It may not come as any shock to you that most guys' biggest struggle is keeping their thoughts pure. We don't do them any favors by parading body parts in front of them that are meant to be covered. Instead, we are often the cause of their stumbling into sin. Don't get me wrong - obviously guys have a choice to stare or look away.  However, a Christian guy should be able to go to church and worship his God without having to keep his eyes closed during the service. Ladies, we don't dress modestly just to help out our Christian brothers; we also do it to help our sisters in Christ. You see, modest dressing doesn't just mean that we don't show off too much skin. It also means that we dress in such a way that we don't draw attention away from the God we serve.
3. Let me explain with the third reason we choose to dress modestly, which is that it keeps the focus on Jesus. 1 Timothy 2:9-10 talks about modesty when it says, "women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness-with good works." Knowing the context of this verse will help us draw out the meaning. You see, Paul was talking specifically about women in the church. Barely-there clothing would obviously be a huge distraction to a guy sitting in church trying to listen to the message, but immodest dressing can also be a major distraction to our sisters.  Have you ever been sitting in church, listening attentively, until a girl comes walking in late with her super cute and obviously pricey bag, perfectly trendy and seemingly straight off the runway outfit with her hair just so, and you find yourself very distracted?  You were sitting there listening to the message, learning from God's Word and now, instead of thoughts about the Lord, you are struggling with feelings of envy and insecurity.  The gal that walked in late wasn't dressed immodestly because she was showing too much skin, but because she was dressed in such a way to draw all the attention to herself.  Unfortunately, when she drew attention to herself, she drew it away from the Lord. 1 Timothy isn't telling us that fixed-up hair, nice jewelry and cute clothes are bad in themselves; it's explaining that they become bad when they become a distraction from our God.

So what's the big deal? Why choose modesty?  It sets us apart, prevents us from being a stumbling block, and keeps the focus on Jesus.  My hope is that we would learn to dress in such a way that God gets ALL the attention.

Listening to music is one of my favorite things to do when I'm alone. I love it, whether it's the radio or my favorite CD. When I am in my car with no one else, I like to crank the volume up really loud and sing to my favorite songs. One thing about music is that it comes in all varieties. There are different genres with different beats played by different musicians using all kinds of instruments to create what we hear through the speakers. Since music is so diverse, not all songs have uplifting or positive messages.

It's important to monitor what our ears listen to, so that we aren't feeding our minds negativity. Seriously, the music we hear can have a greater impact on our lives than we know.

A few years back, I went to a Casting Crowns concert where I heard the lead singer say something that really stuck with me.

He said, "The music you listen to is either who you are or who you want to be."

The more I thought about this statement, the more I understood it to be true. If you look at many of the rappers and secular singers today who talk about sex or drugs in their music, they often partake in those activities. I've had many friends who used to live godly lives now living more sinfully, and I bet you can guess what kind of content was found in the music they listened to.

We might think the words in a song won't affect our behavior, but the more we hear about negative content in a song, the more likely it's going to stick in our minds and soon express itself through our actions. Just think about people who curse a lot. They didn't start off that way. Somewhere in their lifetime they heard other people using that language so much that they eventually picked it up themselves. This is why it's important to check what goes into our ears when we listen to music. Songs with positive messages will encourage us to live in a godly manner.

The best thing about Christian music is that it always has an uplifting message! I know sometimes people don't like listening to Christian music because they think it's all slow, sappy worship music, but that is not true. Christian music by itself comes in all forms. I am a rocker myself and love that there are several Christian rock bands out there. Skillet, Red, Thousand Foot Krutch, and Falling Up just to name a few. There is something to enjoy for everyone in the realm of Christian music. Rappers and hip-hoppers will enjoy the sounds of Toby Mac, Grits, LeCrae, and KJ-52. Looking for more pop, there's Superchick, Newsboys, and Casting Crowns.

I'm not saying you can't listen to anything other than Christian music. It's just important to weed out negative music and keep our ears open to what's pure, holy, and true. So next time you turn on the radio or pop in your favorite CD, ask yourself the question, "What does this music say about me?"

Sarah Smith grew up in Oklahoma and graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with an English degree. She loves being a child of God and serving in missions. She has gone on trips to Germany and London and served a recent term of five and half months in London as a missionary intern. She recently applied to seminary and is looking forward to attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in the fall to study Christian Counseling.

Ten verses...when I was a junior in high school, I was challenged by a soccer teammate to quote ten verses from the Bible. I had been trying to tell this girl more and more about Jesus, and that day she told me that if I could quote ten verses she would listen to me. Otherwise, she would walk away.

Right now, I want you to think about it...answer that question. Can you recite ten verses from the Bible including where they are from?  Here is the reality...most of you probably cannot.  However, you could quote ten songs.  You can sing along word for word to most of the music on the radio. Many of you could sing along to ten entire CD's.  Ten movie lines would also be easy for you to quote. You could probably manage ten children's songs and likely ten nursery rhymes. The list goes on...

But what about God's Word...the Bible...the very thing that contains the truth from God himself. Sadly, we rarely take the time to memorize it.

Psalms 119:11 says, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."

Learning and committing verses to memory is the very process where we hide the word of God in our hearts. We do this to both honor God and to protect us from Satan.  Did you know that Jesus quoted scripture from the Old Testament when he was tempted by Satan in Matthew 4:1-17?  God's Word is truth, and it helps us get through the difficult parts of life.

So how do you memorize scripture?  Here are some tips:

1) Find verses that are meaningful to you. Look through your Bible and find verses you have underlined or highlighted and start with those.  Also think about things you are struggling with and find verses that relate.  Here are a few good ones...if you are struggling with:

• Sin......................................1 Corinthians 10:13
• Forgiveness........................1 John 1:9
• Finding purpose.................Jeremiah 29:11-13
• Tough times........................Genesis 50:20
• Self-esteem........................Psalms 139:13-14
• Anger..................................Proverbs 29:11
• How to live for God............Micah 6:8
• Cursing...............................Ephesians 4:29
• Knowing you are saved......Romans 10:9-10

2) Memorization comes from repetition, so you have to practice.

3) Develop a disciplined system. For example, I keep note cards with verses on them next to my bed and review them every night before bed.  Once I am certain I remember one, I add a new one.

4) Pray that God would help you to remember the verses you are practicing.

To finish the story, that day on the soccer field, she walked away from me because I couldn't do it. I promised God to never again allow my lack of discipline in learning His Word to keep me from a chance to share with someone about his love.  So now I have not only learned ten verses, I am working to learn 10 chapters!

So I challenge you today to start with one verse.  Find one verse and spend time going over it time and time again until it sticks. Then add another...you will be at ten before you know it.  Are you ready? Will you accept the challenge?

Sometimes life gives us lemons. Things fall apart. Parents break up. Loved ones die. Disasters happen. The world is never all we hoped it would be, but in times of distress...when we're beaten, bruised and at our weakest...those are the moments we need to hold on tight and never surrender.

Paul makes a great statement in 1st Timothy 6:12. He says, "Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses."

We have greater things to look forward to beyond this life, a place of peace where no pain, sorrow, anguish, or fear will exist. But until that time comes, we must give our best to the One who gave His all. We must remember that we are called to a better life, and even though life on this current earth is full of trials and tribulations, we can still enjoy the beauty of heaven and the blessings of our Father if we live in Him now during this life. In order to receive all those great blessings, we must choose each day to walk faithfully with Father and abide in His love. The following poem demonstrates a commitment to live in Him even when we're crushed by struggles.

Let Me Live

I fight and I sweat

I bleed and I cry

The world is a battlefield

But I'm too broken to fly

I grow weary and tired

I'm faint and I'm weak

Yours is the strength

My soul longs to seek

The pain here is brutal

It mangles my heart

When from this place

Will I soon depart

I want to be free

I want to jump high

This battle it drains me

No longer I try

Teach me to see

Help me to give

Protect me in battle

Just let me live

It's in the trying times when we're at our weakest that Father is at His strongest. So when you're bleeding and broken, there's a Healer to mend you. Tired and weary, there's a Helper to give you strength. Lost and confused, there's a Leader to guide you. Afraid and alone, there's a Friend who will never leave your side. And when you think you've lost all hope and feel like you can't go on, there's a Father to carry you in His arms until you're ready to start again. Next time your world falls apart, let Father put it back together and never stop fighting the good fight of faith.

So the older I get, the more I've realized that I allow my emotions to control EVERYTHING! If I feel sad, my actions are sad. If I feel happy, my actions are happy. Sometimes I am completely irrational and just plain out of control because of my emotions.

Now, God gave us emotions for a reason. I'm not saying they are bad. In fact, they are a blessing. Emotions allow me to rejoice, to experience the "feeling" of love (which is only part of love by the way), to feel sad when I need to feel sad, to feel sad when my brother or sister in Christ is broken and hurting and needs me to hurt with them, to laugh out loud with a big smile because I am so happy inside, and so on and so on.

My emotions truly are a blessing from the Father. In fact, He tells us in Proverbs that He is keeping our very own tear bottle for each of us! However, there is a bad side to these crazy things called emotions. The bad side comes in when I begin to allow these emotions to control me. When my sad day drives me into depression just because I can't seem to shake it off. Sometimes my emotions cause me to act rude, mean, and just plain ugly toward people. When I let my emotions control me, I become like a human rollercoaster. Sometimes I am happy, sometimes I am mad - up and down, up and down. So the other day I was reading Colossians 2:9-10...

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.

This verse tells us that Christ is fully God, therefore God being fully Christ (confusing I know, hang with me). It also tells us that we have been given the FULLNESS of Christ - not just a little, not just some...no ALL, fullness, one hundred percent filled with Him.

Okay, the next part says that He (Christ) is the head over EVERY POWER AND AUTHORITY. Does this mean that we have power through Christ? YES! Complete power through Christ - we have power through Christ over Satan, evil powers, and evil authorities. But check that last part again...Christ, who is head over every power. Sometimes, my emotions get so out of hand that they tend to have power over me. They force me to act a certain way, or believe a certain thing about myself.

For instance, I am a sinner inherently, therefore I am going to sin (even though I hate it). Sometimes when I sin, my emotions go crazy and i feel all this guilt, sadness, and condemnation even after I go to the Father and ask forgiveness. Because of my emotions, I began to go crazy and start believing that Jesus doesn't love me anymore or isn't happy with me anymore because I screwed up. I know that's not true because of 1John 1:9!

Okay, so what am I saying in all of this? I am saying that emotions are a good thing, a blessing in fact. But when they become an EVIL power in my life and begin controlling my actions, moods, and motives, I've got a problem. I must realize that through the name of Jesus I have power over my controlling emotions of sadness, insecurity, anger, hatred, love, happiness, and EVERY OTHER EMOTION YOU CAN THINK OF!

God loves you. He has blessed us with emotions - use them wisely!

Most people see school as a place to kill time until the afternoon when they're free to have fun with friends or watch TV. Some see it as just a place where teachers try to cram all of this information into your head that you think you'll never use again. But maybe school can be more than that. Maybe school is a mission field that can be used to reach out to others and show them the never-ending love of God.

Other than sleep, school takes up the majority of a student's day. Most students are at school for at least seven or eight hours. That's a big chunk of time to be in one location for nine months out of the year with the same people every single day. A lot can happen in someone's life over the course of nine months. But, as in most cases, we are often too self-centered to notice that other individuals walk the planet, too. People are stereotyped and labeled under categories that are mostly untrue. But for some reason, most of us still stick to our own groups in our own little worlds and aren't concerned about the needs of those around us.

But what if you did something different? What if you decided to make a change?

What if instead of gossiping about the awkward girl in school, you stood up for her? What if you offered your pencil to someone who needed it? What if you showed the new girl around instead of letting her lose her way? Or what if you just said hello to someone who's hardly ever spoken to? And what if it changed their world?

Little acts of kindness can make a big difference in someone's life, especially someone who's having a horrible day. And the more little acts of kindness you do, the more courage you'll build up to do greater acts of kindness. If we girls would look at school as a mission field where we can show love to others, then more opportunities to show Christ's love will come up. If you're in tune with the Spirit and your eyes are focused on Him, you will be able to see little ways to love on other students.

We don't always see the practical places like school as being a mission field because somehow we're under the impression that a mission field must be some foreign country that's poverty stricken and where no one knows Christ.

But a missionary is someone who is sent out to a location to help others and share what they believe. You don't have to be working in an orphanage in Africa or handing out food in Haiti. You can be right where you are, so let Christ use you to change a life, a school, or even the world. Remember, as it is written in Matthew 5:14, "You are the light of the world...," so shine on!

Sarah Smith grew up in Oklahoma and graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with an English degree. She loves being a child of God and serving in missions. She has gone on trips to Germany and London and served a recent term of five and half months in London as a missionary intern. She recently applied to seminary and is looking forward to attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in the fall to study Christian Counseling.

Forgiveness is truly a divine ability, and one that we cannot hope to fully execute in our human nature. Perhaps we are most like our Maker in the moments when we choose to forgive those who have wronged us..hurt us...betrayed us. And in the moments when we allow forgiveness to govern our actions, I believe the heart of God honors our prayers.

The following prayer was found on a scrap of paper during the liberation of Ravensbruck Concentration Camp in Germany during World War II.

"Lord, remember not only the men of good will, but also those of ill will. But do not remember all the suffering they have inflicted upon us. Remember rather the fruits we have brought, thanks to this suffering: our comradeship, our loyalty, our humility, the courage, the generosity, the greatness of heart that has grown out of this. And when they come to judgment, let all the fruits we have bourne be their forgiveness."

I am moved by this prayer in ways I cannot even express in words. You see, this particular concentration camp was created primarily for women. Between the years of 1939-1945, over 130,000 female prisoners passed through the gates of Ravensbruck. Only 40,000 lived to tell about it. Corrie ten Boom, one of my spiritual heroes, was among that 40,000. She eventually shared her story through the book, The Hiding Place, which was later made into a movie as well. One of the recurring themes of the book is forgiveness.

When I look at the betrayals in my life, they seem inconsequential when compared to the suffering inflicted by the leaders of Ravensbruck. Yet somehow the women held captive there allowed God to infuse them with the capacity to forgive. So how can I not allow God to do the same in my life? Forgiveness is a gift we can choose to give. It is not conditional upon the wrongdoer's acknowledgement of their mistake. Think about it...some people will never accept responsibility for their actions, nor will they seek your forgiveness. But we can bestow the gift of forgiveness anyway, and in doing so, we can bear the fruit of the Divine.

When we reflect on our spiritual heritage, there are several spiritual "giants" who have lived such sacrificial lives that even non-believers admire their legacy. One of those "giants" is the small-statured Mother Teresa who spent her life caring for the forgotten in the streets of Calcutta. Her work was difficult, yet she endured without complaint. I think her prayer below reveals how she did it...

"Dear Jesus, Help us to spread your fragrance everywhere we go, flood our souls with your Spirit and life. Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterly that our lives may only be a radiance of yours. Shine through us and be so in us that every soul we come in contact with may feel your presence in our soul. Let them look up and see no longer us but only Jesus. Stay with us and then we shall begin to shine as you shine, so to shine as to be light to others. The light, O Jesus, will be all from you. None of it will be ours. It will be your shining on others through us. Let us thus praise you in the way you love best by shining on those around us. Let us preach you without preaching - not by words but by our example...by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what we do...the evident fullness of the love our hearts bear to you."

What would happen if each of us woke up each morning and lived each day with the goal of spreading His fragrance wherever we go? Oh God, let that be our prayer and our desire - to preach you without preaching, not by words but by our example.