Thoughtful Moments

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 5, 10 September 1943, Page 2

Thoughtful Moments

(Supplied by the Whakatone Ministers' Association).

PATHS THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN (From a Mother to her Daughter) "Una dear, I am now settled in my new quarters—a fair-sized, bedsitting room anil small kitchenette, for which an exorbitant rent is asked. lint it is clean and convenient, although some distance from town anil. Church. Rather late in life I am learning thai bus and tram fares have a trick of piling up into quite an alarming amount. time one goes .shopping, attends Church or any meeting, it means an expenditure. of .sixpence—upwards.

"The minister has been to .sec me, also his wife and the Deaconess., all nice friendly people.

I promised to visit a young girl in ho'sp'ntal, besides reading to an old Church member who is nearly blind. I intended to go to-day, but find my purse contains just two and sixpence, which has to carry 011 until the end. of the week", it costs one and four to get to the hospital, and tenpenee to reach the old lady. Now !" Elspcth Mc Alpine. paused in her writing and smiled ruefully as she glanced at her purse. "What a predicament!" she sighed. Then she resumed the letter to the studentdaughter.

"Una, darling, your mother finds herself immersed in an unknown sea of perplexities. This scarcity of money is like some awful nightmare, from which it is difficult to awaken, tf only 1 could earn something for myself; but there are no openings for elderly folk, especially those half-crippled with rheumatism. When people get an in'kling of the state of one's finances it brings about some laughable results. A letter came yesterday from a lady asking if L' -could go to her for a day's house cleaning! To-day an energetic social worker stopped me in the street, asking if I would like a bag of coals sent!

"Of course, were I in debt If father had lived a little longer we might have kept clear of the losses that have left us well-nigh penniless, although, thank God, not in debt.

"I am wondering if I were wise in joining up with the Church here:, when not in a position to contribute a fair share towards its expenses. The Church and all that it stands for has always meant so much to us, has it not? It seems disloyal to give so little in return.

"Looking around the well-filled Church, 1 often wonder if any ol these cxpensive'y-dressed people have had to contend with the <1 ifTiculties Ave are experiencing. If so, how did they manage to pull through? Someone lias turned on the wireless in the next flat. A passing train drowns some of the words, but a message comes straight to me: The lire shall not hurt thee, 1 only design Thy <lros.s to consume., thy gold to refine. In the midst of perplexities within, and wars without, I have much to be thankful for,, and. I am remembering that word of comfort, 'Be of

OUR SUNDAY MESSAGE

good cheer, L have. overcome' tlu world.' Mv love. —Mother. (Contributed by Patience.")

One paragraph in this article 1 found particularly arresting: "Looking around the well-filled Church, I often wonder if any of tlie.se ex-pensively-dressed people have had to contend with the-difficulties . . . If so, how did they manage to pull through?" Are you people expensively dressed? Suitably dressed, yes! My thoughts wandered back through the years, and I thought of one who has been a constant, inspiration to

Her husband failed her, and she was left with the task of bringing up her three boys, with the added care of a wasteful husband. Her plot of land, was farmed intensively, and boarders helped to balance the budget. Early morning found her away over the paddocks after the cows, the quiet of that morning hour bringing its refreshment to her. Evening found her weary, but eager for a book before she slept. How did she manage to pull through? She smiled when I' asked the question. "There were many difficult days," she said, ''but 1 realise now that the daily work was God's gift. Someone has said that we should thank God every morning when we get up that we have something to do that day, whether we like it or not. Being forced to work, and forced to do my best, did develop the best that was in me, and a • cheerfulness and content gradually took the place of the disappointment and the sell - pity .that was embittering my life. '"And the other aikls?" I suggested. "My friends,," she answered, without hesitation. "I am rich in my friends." "And you had great faith," I remarked. "Not so much great faith," she replied, "as faith in a great God." Thus did this woman pull through, with faith strengthened, retaining and radiating the happiness of a quiet heart. ALL IS WELL

lii the centre of the circle Of the will of God I stand : There can come no .second causes, All must come from His dear hand. All is well for tis mv Father Who my life, hath planned. Shall I pass through waves of sorrow ? Then I know it will he best ; Though I cannot tell the reason, I can trust,, and so am blest. Cod is .Love, and God is faithful So in perfect peace I rest. With tlie. .shade and with the sunshine, Willi the. joy, and with the pain, Lord. 1 trrtst 'Thee. Jioth are needed, Each Thy waj'ward child to train. Earthly loss, did we but know it, Often means our heavenly gain. I.G.W.