STOUT HEART

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 60, 3 June 1942, Page 6

STOUT HEART

Bjr J. Hugh Edwards. After standing for a time at one end of London Bridge scanning the faces of the long procession, of city workers as thej' passed him on their way to their day's 1 tasks and) duties, a friend of mine said he felt saddened by tlie careworn expression of many of them. It Avas easy to see that for them life had become a harder battle than ever; business perhaps grieviously dislocated; home hearths shadowed with anxiety; the children evactinted: the old sense of security shaken. Our supreme necessity in these stern times is an unyielding spirit in the face of hardship. Anil that heroic spirit must needs be cultivated. amid, the pressure of our daily circumstances. • Let us not lose sight of the fact that strength conies to us as Ave pluck up heart to face our dill'icullies. To play our part faithfully before God and men—that surely is the essence oJ moral courage. One source of such courage is to look our troubles squarely in the face—to walk up to them, rather than try to run away from them—and even to put our hands on their rough edges. The truth is that things which at first sight look utterly hopeless are often overcome Avhcn avc face up to them. Many a man, when hard tried, has discovered that there is unsuspected stuff in him, when lie i.si put to the test. Strength comes from faith in God, but it does not come until Ave do our part. It is the hands that grasp the difficulties which become equipped with strength from above. And so to those cT you Avho are beset with needless anxiety I Avould just saj': Yesterday ended last night, and to-morrow's a new da v. ■ I