POWER OF LOVE

Though difficult, it is even more rewarding to love the unlovable.

A long time ago in China , a girl named Li-Li got married & went to livewith her husband and mother-in-law. In a very short time, Li-Li found thatshe couldn't get along with her mother-in-law at all. Their personalitieswere very different, and Li-Li was angered by many of her mother-in-law' shabits. In addition, she criticized Li-Li constantly.

Days passed, and weeks passed. Li-Li and her mother-in-law never stoppedarguing and fighting. But what made the situation even worse was that,according to ancient Chinese tradition, Li-Li had to bow to hermother-in-law and obey her every wish. All the anger and unhappiness inthe house was causing Li-Li's poor husband great distress.

Finally, Li-Li could not stand her mother-in-law' s bad temper anddictatorship any longer, and she decided to do something about it! Li-Liwent to see her father's good friend, Mr. Huang, who sold herbs. She toldhim the situation and asked if he would give her some poison so that shecould solve the problem once and for all.

Mr. Huang thought for awhile, and finally said, 'Li-Li, I will help yousolve your problem, but you must listen to me and obey what I tell you.'Li-Li said, 'Yes, Mr. Huang, I will do whatever you tell me to do.'Mr.Huang went into the back room, and returned in a few minutes with apackage of herbs. He told Li-Li, 'You can't use a quick-acting poison toget rid of your mother-in-law, because that would cause people to becomesuspicious. Therefore, I have given you a number of herbs that will slowlybuildup poison in her body. Every other day prepare some delicious meal and putalittle of these herbs in her serving. Now, in order to make surethat nobody suspect you, when she dies, you must be very careful to actvery friendly towards her. 'Don't argue with her, obey her every wish, andtreat her like a queen.'

Li-Li was so happy. She thanked Mr. Huang andhurried home to start her plot of murdering her mother-in-law. Weeks wentby, and months went by, and every other day, Li-Li served the speciallytreated food to her mother-in-law. She remembered what Mr. Huang had saidabout avoiding suspicion, so she controlled her temper, obeyed hermother-in-law, and treated her like her own mother.After six months had passed, the whole household had changed. Li-Li hadpracticed controlling her temper so much that she found that she almostnever got mad or upset. She hadn't had an argument with her mother-in-lawin six months because she now seemed much kinder and easier to get alongwith.The mother-in-law' s attitude toward Li-Li changed, and she began to loveLi-Li like her own daughter.

She kept telling friends and relatives thatLi-Li was the best daughter-in- law one could ever find. Li-Li and hermother-in-law were now treating each other like a real mother anddaughter. Li-Li's husband was very happy to see what was happening.

One day, Li-Li came to see Mr. Huang and asked for his help again She said,'Dear Mr. Huang, please help me to keep the poison from killing mymother-in-law. She's changed into such a nice woman, and I love her likemy own mother. I do not want her to die because of the poison I gave her.'Mr. Huang smiled and nodded his head. 'Li-Li, there's nothing to worryabout. I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were vitamins toimprove her health. The only poison was in your mind and your attitudetoward her, but that has been all washed away by the love which you gaveto her.

'HAVE YOU REALIZED that how you treat others is exactly how they will treatyou? There is a wise Chinese saying: 'The person who loves others willalso be loved in return.' God might be trying to work in another person'slife through you.