wear forever'' About a year ago, how ever, the establishment received the shirt back. The purchaser admitted he had worn it for more than 30 years, but in returning it, his accompanying note complained, “I consider myself a reasonable man, and I feel I have had reasonably good service out of this shirt. The fact remains, however, that your salesman has certainly been given to exaggeration. I felt I should call this to your attention since I don’t think it is good for business. Thirty years is a far cry from ‘forever.’ ” Sometimes perfectly good words, through much use, can lose their meaning. Fortun ately, in Scripture, however, God al ways stands behind His guarantee. For a haberdasher, thirty years may seem like an eternity. For God it is only as a grain of sand through an hourglass of time. The wonderful promise of our Lord Jesus Christ is everlasting life to all who place their faith and trust in Him. * * * God changes people, not things. * * * EXAGGERATION A grey-haired stranger in a cart rode through our town. He drove a dumpy pony mare. His clothes were fadded brown. He asked the road to Seven Springs. Three of us heard him say that he would thank us kindly to be shown the nearest way. He got his in formation, appreciation showed, he spoke a pleasant evening and jogged upon his road. Now this was positively all. We saw the man, no more. But one there was who saw him pass before her open door. And phoning to a friend she told how this peculiar man, had driven by as if he led a monster cara van. The other soon phoned visiting to inform a friend, told about the weird procession that seemed to have no end. Erelong the phones were ringing from here to Seven Springs, and women folk on every farm were hearing fateful things. They said, a circus had been wrecked upon the main highway, so it was moving overland to save a great delay. The caravan was two miles long, and nearly every night some hungry animal got loose. The neighborhood took fright. They called the husbands from the fields, the children from the schools, got out the guns, chained up the gates,
and hid the woodshed tools. The panic lasted for an hour, then dunndled quickly down, when someone got a message that no circus was in town. The huge parade had not been seen, on all the thoroughfares; there was no sign of men and teams, no elephants or bears. Quickly then the neighbors sought to find the guilty one, who started such a fable out. I t easily was done. For as each questioned each, they found that each one in her way, had added just a bit to what she’d heard somebody say. So when the tale was sifted through, it shriveled down to where, the grey-haired stranger jogged along behind his dumpy mare. * * * Most men have two aims inlife, to make a little money first and then to make a little money last. * * * DANGER OF CYNICISM One of the impending dangers about which all of us must give great care is that of becoming critical and cynical in our outlook on life. There was an in veterate grumbler who couldn’t find anything about which to give thanks or praise. Although financially he was a very successful farmer, because of a very sour attitude, no one enjoyed his company. Nothing seemed to please him. His pastor tried to help brighten the outlook, all to no avail. A t the time of the potato harvest, the disgruntled farmer enjoyed a bumper crop. Want ing to strike a more cheerful note, the minister suggested, "Brother, I under stand you’ve had a tremendous season with potatoes this year. That certainly must really be cause for rejoicing!” The chronic complainer never even smiled, but sourly responded, “Yes, it’s .true. The harvest was good enough. But now my problem is, I don’t have any bad potatoes to feed my pigs.” Oh, what a sad outlook on life! You know anyone like that? The Bible tells us we are to do the will of God from the heart. In I Thessalonians we are re minded that it is the will of God for us to give thanks in everything. May we follow the exhortation Paul wrote to the Philippian church and “rejoice in the Lord always!” * * * It is not what we take up, but rather what we give up that truly makes us rich. 31
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