The Kindness of Good Mentors and Changing Your Life's Path

              I was just listening to all my songs on Spotify and I'll tell you IT IS RANDOM!
I have everything from 1980's Christian to Pentatonix.

A song from Sound of Music came on and I'd like to share with you how I feel about the beginning of the movie which takes place at the convent.

The song "Maria" is sung by the nuns in the Abbey and they are discussing and complaining about young Maria's trouble-making nature.
She's always late for everything and seems more likely to seek fun rather than prayer-time.

       "How do you solve a problem like Maria?"

Some of the nuns were defensive of Maria and said that they liked her, some were quick to condemn her and make her out to be the problem that she was.

All agreed that she often caused trouble for herself and the others at the convent.

The Reverend-Mother was one of the ones defending her.

She was kind and said that Maria was not a devil she was just a girl (who still needs to grow and learn).

                                        

Later, Maria is summoned to the Reverend-Mother's office and she goes with much fear and trepidation because she knows how much she falls short. 

She tells the Mother that she will work harder to do everything right but she is interrupted.

  The Mother tells her in the most kind, merciful way that life in the convent is obviously not for her and in the most regal and powerful way (Opera, to be exact) the Mother tells her to go seek a new dream even if she has to climb every mountain to find it.

I find this to be so beautiful.  Even though the mother herself is not very beautiful and even though most people aren't into Opera nowadays, I was impressed by the Mother's kindness and how she did not judge Maria harshly for not measuring up to the standards of the Abbey. 

She believed that God has a place for all of us and it is OK if your place is different than mine!

Also she showed Maria and myself that sometimes in life, you have to change direction and go down a different path even thought it may be terrifying and disappointing at first.  

I may feel like a failure in the place I'm leaving, but it's not true.  

We have to find the way and it won't look how we think it will look.