Thoughtful Moments

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 85, 29 June 1945, Page 2

Thoughtful Moments

(Supplied by the Whakatn THE GUIDE WHO UNDERSTANDS For in th;it He Himself hath suffered being He is able Lo succour them that are tempted.— Hebrews 2: IS. A very interesting and human story has come out of a London iog. An American colonel in England had heard that his son ? a naval had been badly wounded and was to be operated on in London that day. He wasn't allowed to see his boy for fear of exciting him; he wasn't allowed even to wait at the hospital; but they promised to phone him as soon as the . operation was i over. At last the phone-call came. The operation had and now the colonel could see his boy. He hurried into the street —only to find that a thick fog had come down and it was almost impossible to see where he was going, the hospital was only a few blocks away, but in those few blocks he became completely lost. The fog, helped by the blackout, hid everything, and you would hardly have known there were people passing by except for the .shuffling noise they made as they groped along. At last he became desperate. "I'm an American he shouted, 'land my boy is in St. Gregory's Hospital. Won't somebody—" Then a hand reached out of the fog and took his. arm, and a . voice said, "come on ? sir," The stranger guided him along, round this corner and that, through the murk and the darkness. Then, "Here you are_ sir " said the voicfe. and the hospital stood before him.

The colonel thanked his kind guide and then asked ? "But how did you find your way?" "Easily," came the answer. "You see I'm blind. Got it in both eyes. Dunkirk, Sir." : And the stranger shuffled off. He was at home in the darknescs. No doubt it had been a hard light—learning to do without his eyes. But he had struggled with the darkness and mastered it. And now he was able to help those, who weren't used to it. It must be very hard f learning to do without eyes, or arms, or any of the other things we are so used to. I'm sure soldiers who are so wounded must feel a little hopeless at first. "What can I do without an arm or without a leg ; or without my eyes?" they a&li themselves. I have; read somewhere of how they are cheered up. Into the hospital ward where there are men who have lost a leg comes a cheerful

OUR SUNDAY MESSAGE

life Ministers' Association). fellow who alks to the patients, and steps about from bed to bed, and altogether shows, them how lively a fellow who talks to the patients, and bound toi say, "It's all very well lor you to hop about like that; but what about me? I've lost a leg." "But " says the lively fellow, "I've lost both legs-. These legs have been made for me but they work all right. To lose a leg isn't the end of everything. Look at me. I've got a good job. I've got a line wife anil, family. I get plenty of fun out of life. So cheer up. If I can do> it, so can you." The patients cheer up then, for here is a man who has gone through all that they're going through, ami has overcome it. He can teach them to overcome it too. That is what the writer to the Hebrews was thinking about Jesus. He can guide us through all the trials and temptations of life, because He has been through them before us. "Because Jesus has suffered these things," he wrote, "He canhelp others in difficulties." We sometimes thinly perhaps, "It's all very well for Jesus to expect us to live a good life! He doesn't know how hard it is sometimes. He is the Son of God, with all the power of God. How should he know what a battle J t is for someone like me?"

But he knows. For, one time, He left the light and glory of heaven to live in the dark world, and. He faced just what we have to J'ace, leaning on the power of God. He faced the temptation to do wrong, but He. called on God's power and overcame it. He faced pain and disappointment and trouble and sorrow, but with God's help He. mastered them and lived a brave and happy lite in spite of them. And in the end, He faced the power of evil and the darkness of death, and overcame them both ? so that he might lead us to God and to the happy life that has no end. Because He has- passed through all this He knows .what it means to y / us. Because He lias fought against trials and temptations and overcome them, He is willing and able to help us when we are facing them. He says to us, "With the power of God I did it and so can you." Yes Jesus can show us the way ■5 and give us the power to conquer. So let us call upon Him*, when the fog is thick and the way is dark, when temptations try us and troubles bring their gloom, and He will surely guide and help us to our jmiruney's end.-