Choughtful Moments

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 2, 27 August 1943, Page 2

Choughtful Moments

(Supplied Jjy tlie WhakaU

I CONFESS MY FAITH 1 his article, condensed from the United Slate*" News, is copied from "Readers Digest." China's first lady, who- has -captured tlie afreetion and respect of the peoples of many lands, here reveals, the source of her strength:— My mother lived very close to God, and her example has influenced me greatiy in recent years. When we asked her advice about anything, she would say "1 must ask God. first." And we could not hurry her. Asking God was not a matter of .spending five minutes to ask Him to bl e.ss her child and grant the request. It meant waiting upon God until she felt His leading. Whenever mother prayed and trusted God for her decision, the undertaking invariably turned out wcl'l. By nature. 1 am not a religious person, at least, not in the common acceptance of that term. I am prac-tical-minded, and somewhat sceptical! 1 used to think Faith, Belief, Immortality were more or less imaginary. 1: believed in the world seen., not the world unseen. 1 could not accept things just because they had always been accepted . . . During my childhood I always had to go to Church, and I hated the long sermons . . . But to-day feel that this churchgoing habit established something, a kind of stability, for which 1 am grateful to my parents . . . One day I was talking with mother about the emminent Japanese menace, and i suddenly cricd out, "Mother, you're so powerful in prayer, why don't you pray that God will annihilate Japan—by an earthquake, or something?" Looking at me gravely, she said: "When you pray, or expect me to pi a\, don t insult God's intelligence by asking Him to do something which wou.'d be unworthy even of you—a mortal." That made, a deep impression on me. And to-day 1 can pray for the Japanese people, knowing that there must be many who suffer because of what their country is doing to China. During these years of my married life, Ij have, gone through three phases, as related to my religion. First, there was a tremendous enthusiasm and patriotism—a passionate desire to do something for my country. With my husband I would work ceaselessly to unite China,, and make her strong. 1 had the best of intentions. But something was lacking. There was no .staying power. i was, dependent 011 self. Then came the second phase, beginning with the Japanese invasion. I saw the Japanese overrun* our richest provinces. I saw our people die from enemy action . . . And 1 sijw the death of my saintly mother.

OUR SUNDAY MESSAGE

unt Ministers' Association). All tlic.se thing's have made me realise my own inadequacy. More than that all human insufficiency ... I was plunged into spiritual <iovj)air. Then 1 realised that spiritual y 1 was failing my husband. My mother's influence 011 the General had been tremendous. His own mother was a devout Buddhist. It was my mother's influence, and personal example that led him to become a .Christian. Too honest to profess faith just to win her consent to our marriage, he had promised my mother that he would study Christianity, and read the Bible. And 1 suddenly realised that lie. was .sticking to his promise, even after she was gone, but losing because there were so many things he did not understand. I; began to see that what I was doing to help, for the sake of the country, was only a substitute for what he needed. 1 was letting him head toward a mirage., when I knew of the oasis. Understanding that, and feeling my human inadequacy, I was driven back to my mother's God. I knew there was. a power greater than myself. I knew God was there. But. mother was no longer there to do my interceding for me. It was up to 111 c. to help the General spiritually, and. in helping him. I grew spirtiually myself. I had formerly prayed that God would do this or that. Now Ii prayed only that God would make His will 'known to me. Thus I entered into the third period, where 1 wanted, to do not my will,, but God's. And despair and despondency are not mine to-day. Life is really simple, and yet how confused we make it! ... To know God's will, and do iI« calls for absolute sincerity, absolute honesty with oneself, and it means using one's, mind, to the best of one's ability . . . I am often bewildered. I question and doubt my own judgments. Then I seek guidance: in praj'cr God. cnj lightens my understanding, and 1 when [' am sure,, I go ahead, leaving results with Him. It. is something like this: I) go walking, and tlie hills loom above me, range upon range, one aganist the other. I cannot tell where one begins and another leaves off. But when I talk with God, He. lifts me up where I can see clearly, -where everything lias a distinct, contour Only by practising the presence of God, by daily communion with Him, can one learn liow r to use this source of strength. One. cannot expect to be conscious of God's presence., when one has only, a bowing acquaintance with Him. With me, religion is a very simple thing. It means to try with all my heart and soul and strength and mind, to do the will of God.