As we go on with God, we learn to “mortify” the particular propensities and temperamental turns which, we come to feel, make it so difficult for others to live with us. Thus it is that God causes all these varied “sore- thumb” propensities to work together for good to make us' all the more Christlike and the more conformed to His blessed image. Sometimes it does us good to see these things in a funny light. An immortal light-heartedness has helped some of us over many a hump. There has been going around our office a list of observations entitled: “Isn’t It Funny?” Here are a few of them, plus a few others gathered from other sources:
A Prayer For The Bride and Groom
B S G o d o f l o v e , Thou hast established m a r -1 riage for the welfare and happiness o f f l mankind. Thine was the plan and only with ! Thee can we work it out with joy. Thou hast fl said, “It is not good for man to be alone. 1 1 will make a help meet for him.” Now our 8 joys are doubled since the happiness of one is fl the happiness of the other. Our burdens now B are halved since when we share them, we fl divide the load. Bless this husband. Bless him as provider o f fl nourishment and raiment and sustain him in fl all the exactions and pressures of his battle H fl for bread. May his strength be her protection,, ■ his character be her boast and her pride, and fl may he so live that she will find in him the'H haven for which the heart of woman truly' 1 longs. Bless this loving wife. Give her a tender- fl ness that will make her great, a deep sense of 1 understanding and a great faith in Thee. Give fl her that inner beauty of soul that never fades, fl K m that eternal youth that is found in holding S fast the things that never age. Teach them that marriage is not living' fl merely for each other; it is two uniting and 1 joining hands to serve Thee. Give them a great19 spiritual purpose in life. May they seek first. fl the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and' fl the other things shall be added unto them. M ay they not expect that perfection of | each other that belongs alone to Thee. May they minimize each other’s weaknesses, be 1 swift to praise and magnify each other’s points I of comeliness and strength, and see each other fl through a lover’s kind and patient eyes. Now make such assignments to them on the 1 scroll of Thy will as will bless them and devel- r op their characters as they walk together. Give fl them enough tears to keep them tender, enough fl hurts to keep them humane, enough of failure I to keep their hands clenched tightly in Thine, I and enough of success to make them sure they I walk with God. May they never take each other’s love for' fl granted, but always experience that breath- 1 less wonder that exclaims, “Out of all this 1 world you have chosen me.” When life is done and the sun is setting, I |may they be found then as now still hand in 1 hand, still thanking God for each other. May ^ B they serve Thee happily, faithfully, together, 1 |until at last one shall lay the other into the I iarms of God. This we ask through Jesus Christ, great I lover of our souls. Amen. — Louis H. Evans, D.D., LL .D . fl Available in printed form from the American Tract Society, I i New York. it
When the other fellow takes a long time to do something, he's slow; but when I take a long time to do something, I'm thorough. When the other fellow doesn't do it, he's lazy; but when I don't do it, I'm too busy. When the other fellow spends a lot of money, he is a spendthrift. When I do it, I am generous. When the other fellow goes ahead and does something without being told, he's overstepping his bounds. When I go ahead and do something without being told, that's initiative. When the other fellow says what he thinks, he's spiteful. When I do, I am frank. When the other fellow states his side of the question strongly, he's bullheaded. When I state my side of a question strongly. I'm being firm. When the other fellow overlooks a few rules of etiquette, he's rude. When I skip a few of the rules, I'm original. When the other fellow doesn't like your friend, he's prejudiced. When you don't like his, you are simply showing that you are a good judge of human nature. When the other fellow picks flaws in things, he is cranky. When I do, I only manifest dis crimination. When the other fellow is mild in his manners, he is a mush of concession. When I am, I am being gracious. When the other fellow does something that pleases the boss, he's polishing the brass. When I do something that pleases the boss, that's co operation. When the other fellow tries to treat someone especially well, he's toadying. When I try the same game, I am using tact. When the other fellow moves forward in a venture, he is foolhardy. When I do, I am a man of faith. When the other fellow gets ahead, he sure had the lucky breaks. When I manage to get ahead, Man! — "Hard work did that."
We believe that some of these amusing observations could be profitably reviewed by many of us again and again. As we go back to the cases of John and Jesus, do let us recall how John himself bore witness to Christ, and how Christ upheld and applauded John. Yet these men were each the reverse of the other — and remember that fleshly men were the common enemies of them both. Such fleshly men said that John was too much out of the world, and that Jesus was too much in the world. They said that John was “crazy in the head.” They ac cused Christ of being corrupt in His morals. But wisdom’s children enjoyed the ministry and methods of them both. Has some indulged temperamental tendency come to be a Canaanite that would dwell in the land? By now he has chariots of iron? — and he is gradually putting you out of your inheritance? There is time before the sunset of life to win a great victory.
JU N E , 1963
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