Notes by Mother Ruth
“What do you want?” Father often asks. And, “If only you would want something.” he has said to me. How God must wait to learn what we want. He has it all to give; so He must listen to all our words and thoughts, not just the impassioned prayer or direct request. He must watch all our acts, and even more all of our secret attitudes.
Observation revealed that one was seeking favoritism, another desired approbation, and yet another was seeking retribution. How sad that none sought a good gift, one that depicted true love and friendliness.
The conversion of lead into gold, the transmutation of a negative attitude into one that is positive, is not easily accomplished if the negative thing is allowed to sink in and take firm root, to be followed by a belated effort to effect a change which has then become almost impossible. Rather the thing should be caught in mid-air, like a ball before it drops to earth, and converted then and there: anger into peace, hate into love, despair into joy.