| Things to Live For |
Chapter 4 |
Page 7 |
One spoke the other day of the surprises of a great sorrow which had just been passed through. It was all surprises – for it was the first sorrow; but strangest of all was the surprise of grace which came to brighten the darkness, and to fill the loneliness with love. Some of it came through human affection – friends had brought wondrous warmth and tenderness. “I never knew I had so many friends until my bereavement came.” Some of it came through words of divine comfort which had been read or heard a hundred times before, but which now, in the darkness, for the first time revealed their precious meaning. But besides these, and most wonderful of all, there came a strange blessing of heavenly peace, which seemed to fill the bereft hearts as with an unseen presence of love, pouring itself through al the home as a holy fragrance. Thus it is that they who wait on the Lord have their strength renewed in every need, in every sorrow.
There is one other secret of being strong which must not be overlooked in our study of this subject; – we must be strong in our own heart. A great deal of weakness is unnecessary. Sometimes resignation is a virtue; it is so when the hand of God is upon us in such a way as to leave us no alternative. But very often resignation is not a virtue, but weakness rather, which drags down with it many a possibility of power. Many times what people imagine to be submission to the will of God is only surrender to weakness, when there is really no need for surrender.
Some one counsels us to rename our obstacles, opportunities, considering each as a gymnasium bar on which to try our strength. In this attitude toward hindrances, obstructions, burdens, and weakness itself, lies a wonderful secret of victoriousness. This spirit makes obstacles stepping stones on which to climb upward. This is really an element of Christian faith. Believing that God will make us strong, we go on as if we were already strong, and as we move forward the strength comes.
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