Thoughtful Moments.

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 30, Issue 9, 7 December 1945, Page 2

Thoughtful Moments.

(Supplied by the Whakatnne Ministers' Association).

GLEANINGS YOU ARE GOD'S PLOUGHMAN Alexander Irvine was a poor Irish bov who. because of the influence * J of his good mother, became a very .successful minister. He has written the story of "the most beautiful life T ever knew." He has called it "My Lady of the Chimney Corner." It is worth any boy's while to read. The incident recorded here is her last message to Alexander the night before he left home to study for the ministry. "Ye'll do something for me?" she said. "Ay in tli' world." '"Ye won't, ask questions?" "Not a question." "Shut y eeyes an' stan' close t' th' table." 1 obeyed. She put into each hand a smooth stick with which Jamie (his father) smoothed the soles of shoes, (lie was a shoemaker). "Jist for th' now these are the handles of a plough. Keep vcr eyes shut tight. Ye've seen a man plough in' a field?" "Ay." "Think that j*e see a long ? long field. Ye're ploughin' it. The other end is so far away ye can't see it. Ye see a wee bit of the. furrow just J a wee bit. Squeeze th' plough handles." I squeezed. [ '"D'ye see th' trees yonder?" s "Ay." "An' th' birds picldn' in th' furrows?" "Ay." SI .> took the sticks awav and " 3 gently pushed me on a stool and told me I might open my ! e3 r es. "That's quare " I said. dear ye've put yer hand t.' th' plough; ye must niver niver take it away. All through life ye'll haavc thim plough handles in yer han's an' ye'll be goin' down tlv' furrow. Ye'll crack a stone here and there th' plough stick an' thing.s'll be out of gear, but yer in 111' furrow all the time. Ye'll change horses ye'll'change clothes. , ye'll change yersclf but ye'll always be in the. iurrow ploughing ploughin' ploughin'! I'll go a bit of th' way, | Jamie'll go a bit yer brothers and] sisters a bit ? but we' dhrap out wan j b' wan. Ye're God's ploughman.' Alexander Irvine was about to pledge his life to God and his mother wanted him to know he could never never go back on it. 9

OUR SUNDAY MESSAGE

ERIC LIDDELL The news of the death of Rev. Eric li. Liddell in a Japanese intern, merit camp is nowhere more deeply mourned than in Scotland writes 5 a Scottish representative. in his student days in Edinburgh and when he was at the height of his lame as an athlete, Eric Liddell was lionised in a way thai might have turned the head of many a young man. but it Jei't him as. modest j natural and charming as before.. Speaking on behalf of foreign missions or tak r ing part in students' evangelistic campaigns he made as great an imj pression by his unaffected sincerity |as by his earnest addresses. The I story will often be told of the unique [ honours heaped upon him on the day of his graduation at Edinburgh University? when a garlanded hero, he was driven through the. streets along with the Principal and later was the guest, ol' the Town Council and was presented with a gold watch ; which bore an inscription and the I arms of the city. His supremacy ■in sport fascinated even those who regarded his strict adherence to hi& principles at the risk to his sport-) ing prospects as something of "a throwback to Calvinistic times." Eric Liddell was happy in his membership of Morningside Congregational Church, Edinburgh which has been conspicuous for its missionary spirit. —British Weekly. THEN THERE WERE, THREE Addressing the. National Temperance League in London last week } Lord Amnion voiced ""bis concern over the. of many Christian people to the drink question. He could not understand why in view of the damage drink does that Christian men and women did not universally set the example of total abstinence. Lord Amnion added that no longer was a total abstainer a "speckled bird" and illustrated his point by a charming story. When lie held olfice in the Admiraltv he * J had to dine one evening at Gibraltar on H.M.S. Cumberland. Before dinner lie said to the Captain that he hoped he would not be a wet blanket as a teetotaller. The Captain replied: "Sit 'here. 1 shall be on one side of you and the Chief on. the other; and we are both T.T.'s."— From British AVeeklv March 6 1i)4.5. v '9 S