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has brought joy and gladness to many homes. Peace has again been established, and with it has come the opportunity to preach the Gospel in lands that were closed. Many now dead in tres passes and sins will experience the pardon, peace, and power that Christ alone can give to the human heart. To go, to send, to pray, w i l l be the ripened fruit of gratitude. For the peace that was proclaimed the middle of August, 1945, and for the heart peace that will be felt in the lives of thousands, I am most grateful. o DR. IONE LOWMAN, Librarian: For what shall I give thanks to God—for what one. gift, above others at this time? There is deep gratitude in my heart that God has not left me, His redeemed child, to ' depend upon fallible human -judgment. He has come Himself to ,dwell within my heart; He has given the indwelling Holy Spirit as teacher, friénd and guide. Can there be any other one gift for which to say a more pro foundly earnest, “I thank Thee, Lord?” In addition to. this great gift, I think of His innumerable spiritual blessings, and my heart is flooded with joy and thanksgiving to Him “who loyed us and gave Himself for us.” MISS BERTHA PENTNEY, Instructor: Without a doubt, my greatest single blessing of the year 1945 has been the Lord’s , gracious gift of friends along the way. Friends with whom we can share the keenest joys of life, friends with whom we can work in mutual helpfulness and fellowship of purpose, friends with whom we can pray—these are indeed God’s gift?. Paul writes in the Galatian letter: “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” The application of that principle in every day' living is one of the greatest helps that I know. This year the Lord has let me experience the power of defi nite, faithful, believing prayer in my behalf. In perplexity, in weakness, in sorrow; friends who have “stood by” in intercession and sympathy have been unmistakable channels of His grace. This is also a reciprocal blessing. The joy of finding friends who help and cheer, and put a shoulder under the corner of the load, is only half the story. The other half has its roots in gratitude, and finds expression in the sheer gladness of being a bit of help to someone else. So for the expe rience of having friends, and of being one, I thank the Lord, the Giver of every good and perfect gift.
MR. EUGENE POOLE, Field Repre sentative: When I was asked to state one thing for which I was most thankful this year, naturally I thought of my own salvation, the salvation of my entire family, the salvation of my wife and her entire family. But at the time, an incident occurred which illustrated so well the personal interest of the Lord in the everyday affairs of His chil dren that I have decided to relate it for the encouragement of others. Sometime ago I lost a good leather brief case, and, in answer to prayer, it was not only restored to me, but I was thereby enabled to bear witness of the Saviour to a father and, through him, to his son overseas. Then, through my own carelessness, I lost my brief case again. It contain ed $37.00 of the Lord’s money given me to distribute for Him; a personal check for $42.73; a beautiful Bible, a precious gift from my wife and sons; and an address book compiled by my predecessor in the work of the Bible Institute, Mr. H. C. Hunt, com prising names and addresses of hun dreds of people interested in the work, and representing a half century of systematic records. I was greatly dis tressed and felt I should hot “bother ’ the Lord when I was to blame; nevertheless, I did pray, and also en listed the prayers of those who had more faith than I that God would not allow me to be punished for my im prudence. Five days went by without any result; I was looking to the Lord for the lesson He wanted to teach me from the loss of these poissessions. Then the telephone rang. The brief case had been found on the fifth day a mile or more from the route I had driven on the day it was lost, by a man who was connected with another religious institution in the city! It was lying on a busy, traffic-filled street, but it was intact; not a single thing was missing, not even the loose pages in the address book which was lying apart from the. case. Where it was in the interim remains a mystery, but I trust it brought some benefit to someone. But to me the entire in cident was a refreshing experience of the goodness of God, and I say with Paul: “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” (Rom. 11:33). “Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?” (Job 31:4). • MRS. MATILDA BOEHMER, Superin tendent of Women: As I pause to meditate on the Lord’s goodness to me during this year, I am most grateful for the fact that prayer has been answered, war clouds have lifted, and the dawn of peace
MISS EM I L Y ALEXANDER, Bible Woman: “Bless the Lord, O. my soul': and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” The word “all” means so much, as there have been many blessings through the past year for which I am sincerely thank ful. Many prayers have been answer ed, and I have proven that our God is the God of the impossible, and that He is sufficient for every need. But the one thing above all others for ..which I give thanks this year is that peace has come again. When I heard the news of victory, I was alone; it seemed to me that my. heart would break when I thought of the bereaved homes, and those left behind to mourn. But immediately God brought to my mind the comforting thought that His peace was available for all sad hearts. I was cheered, too, by.re membering that the prayers of Chris tians had shortened the time between V-E Day and V-J Day. From my heart, I say, with all of those to whom the war was a real and constant heartbreak, “Praise the Lord!” $ MR. A. C. FRIESEN, Maintenance Manager: Thanksgiving for me this year—the hardest year of my life? Thanksgiv ing for me, when I have lost by death my dear wife and companion of more than, forty, years? Yes, by the grace ,of God, I can say that I am praising and thanking Him with all of my heart. I have had an opportunity to prove His keeping power as never be fore, and. it works, even when one’s hgart is broken! If I select one thing above all others .for which.to. thank God, it is that my seven children, their husbands and wives, .and my thirteen grandchildren are all saved. I. wondered about my little six-year old grandson so I .questioned. him, “How do you know .you are saved?” “Because Jesus died . for my sins, and I accepted Him as my .Saviour,” he answered. “But,” I went on, “a little fellow like you .doesn’t have any sins.” "Oh, yes, .Grandpa, J do,” he insisted. “I lied to Mamma, and . Jesus forgave me.” I couldn’t talk him out of it! You can see why I am thankful. § MISS FLORENCE F. FAUST, Cashier: . The one thing for which I am most thankful this year is the good health that God has given me. He has en abled, me to keep on working faith fully. In addition, it is to Him I owe the grace that makes me patient, and L hope, kind,, to students and co-workers in the midst of the in- , jnujnerable details that accompany my job as cashier of the Bible Institute.
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