Inspirational verse that may touch you at the deepest level

Inspirational verse to touch the soul

 FOOTPRINTS

  One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. Each scene, he noticed had two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonging to him, and the other to the Lord.

   When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times of his life.

   This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it. “Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why when I needed you most you would leave me.”

   The Lord replied, “My precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.

  IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER
By Erma Bombeck

  I would have talked less and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained
And the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the ‘GOOD’ living room
And worried much less about the dirt when someone came to light a fire in the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my Grandfather ramble about his youth.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.
I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for a day.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn’t show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I’d have cherished every moment realizing that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
There would have been more “I love you’s”…. more “I’m sorry’s”, but mostly, given another shot in life, I would seize every minute, look at it and really see it…. live it…. and never give it back.

 In memory of Erma Bombeck who lost her fight with cancer.

 IF

 If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you.
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

  If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by Knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools:

  If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will, which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

  If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And - which is more - you’ll be a Man, my son!

  Rudyard Kipling 1865 – 1938

 Listening

 When I ask you to listen to me and you start giving me advice
You have not done what I asked.
When I ask you to listen to me and you begin to tell me why I shouldn’t feel that way
You are trampling on my feelings.
When I ask you to listen to me and you feel you have to do something to solve my problems
You have failed me, strange as that might seem.

  Listen! All I asked, was that you listen
Not talk or do – just listen.

  When you do something for me that I can and need to do
For myself, you contribute to my fear and weakness.
But, when you accept as a simple fact that I do feel what I feel
No matter how irrational, then I can quit trying to convince you
And can get about the business of understanding what’s behind this irrational feeling.
And when it’s clear the answers are obvious
And I don’t need advice.
Irrational feelings make sense when we
Understand what’s behind them.
So, please listen and just hear me.
And, if you want to talk, wait a minute for your turn;
And I’ll listen to you

  Author Unknown

 THE SPECIFIC TASK
by  Rumi

  There is one thing in this world that must never be forgotten. If you were to forget everything else, but did not forget that, then there would be no cause to worry; whereas if you performed and remembered and did not forget anything else, but forgot that one thing, then you would have done nothing whatsoever.

  It is just as if a king had sent you to another country to carry out a specified task. You go and perform a hundred other tasks, though you have done nothing at all.

  You have come into this world for a particular task, and that is your purpose; if you do not perform it, then you will have done nothing.

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Cowardice asks the question – is it safe?
Expediency asks the question – is it politic?
Vanity asks the question – is it popular?
But conscience asks the question – is it right?

 And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular; but one must take it because it is right.

  Dr Martin Luther King, Jr

  ***********************************************

  Sheikh Muzaffer A dervish was praying silently. A wealthy merchant, observing the dervish’s devotion and sincerity, was deeply touched by him. The merchant offered the dervish a bag of gold. “I know that you will use the money for God’s sake. Please take it”.

  “Just a moment.” The dervish replied. “I’m not sure if it is lawful for me to take your money. Are you a wealthy man? Do you have more money at home?” “Oh yes. I have at least one thousand gold pieces at home,” claimed the merchant proudly.

  Do you want a thousand gold pieces more?” asked the dervish. “Why yes, of course. Every day I work hard to earn more money.”

  “And do you wish for yet a thousand gold pieces more beyond that?” Certainly. Every day I pray that I may earn more and more money.”

  The dervish pushed the bag of gold back to the merchant. “I am sorry, but I cannot take your gold,” he said. “A wealthy man cannot take money from a beggar.”

  “How can you call yourself a wealthy man and me a beggar?” the merchant spluttered.

  The dervish replied, “I am a wealthy man because I am content with whatever God sends me. You are a beggar, because no matter how much you possess, you are always dissatisfied, and always begging God for more.”

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 To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.

 To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.

 To reach out is to risk involvement.

 To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.

 To place your ideas and dreams before the crowd is to risk their love.

 To love is to risk not being loved in return.

 To live is to risk dying.

 To hope is to risk despair.

 To try is to risk failure,

 But the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.

 The one who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing and is nothing.

 He may avoid suffering and sorrow but he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow or love.

 Chained by his opinions he is a slave, he has forfeited freedom.

 Only one who risks is truly free. Author unknown

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 Dear God, - so far today I’ve done okay.

 I haven’t gossiped or lost my temper.

 I haven’t been grumpy, nasty of selfish.

 But in a few minutes I’m going to

 get out of bed, and that’s when I’m

 going to need all the help I can get!

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 When the door of happiness closes,
another opens,
but often times we look so long at the closed door that we don’t see the one that has been opened for us.

 If you enjoyed these, look in my list of articles for more.