The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-03-02
From Defeat to Victory.

DEFEATS are generally very painful,
and always unpleasant. Every person
breads them. Sometimes death is pre-
ferred to defeat, so terribly do men under
certain circumstances fear it. And yet it
is part of the experience of every per-
sons life; sometimes exceedingly painful.
but not always either dangerous or disas-
rous, yet seldom failing to be very an
noying and humiliating.
The plans we thought had been so we'll
laid and skillfully executed; and we had
expected such rich returns for our labor
and outlay; and we were calculating, it
may be, on the smiles of gladness, express
sions of appreciation, or, perhaps, graft
tude that would greet the success Of our
enterprise by the delighted ones for whom
we labored. So with good degree of
satisfaction and self complacency we
awaited the greetings and gratitude that
our imagination had created, and our hope
full hearts expected. The idea of fail
ure in that enterprise had not entered our
minds. 1t must, it certainly would, sue
coed; we were perfectly sure of that. 1t
was the Lords work, too, and He would
understand and appreciate it; and success
was certain.
But, alas for poor human short sighted
ness! If everybody could only see these
things as we see them, and put the same
value upon them that we do, things might
lie different. But, there it is: people can
not, or will not, all see alike; nor agree
upon the value especially our value) of
our efforts. Indeed, they often consider
them of no value at all, although they
were our ideals of Christian effort, and
cherished schemes of usefulness. Then
comes our defeat. The work is pronounced
faulty, untitled for the place claimed for
1t; unwieldy, entirely inadequate, re-
jccted-and down goes our well meant en-
dcavor flat.
Now, that is little dishcartening if
| not provoking. And We are disposed to
say some sharp and severe things about
the intelligence of our critics. But hap
Ply is the man who can keep the brakes
down tight at such times. Il would not
| care so much, if so many people did not
know about it," perhaps we say. "Ah,
there's the rub''-our pride is wounded.
| With some, this serves 10 drive them from
the field of effort entirely; others may re-
tire into a state of dormancy until the win
ter of their discomfort passes by; while
some may indulge in sort of saltwater
etfcrvcsccnce which sparkles and foams
for awhile and then-sours. But the wises,
way is TO take the dead body of our enter
prise, hold postn.o,tem examination over
it, and discover if possible what killed
the patient.
BY this method of procedure we shall
learn that We do not know everything,
and thus take some of the conceit out OF
us that was doing us no little injury. We
shall learn to be more particular in select
ing methods and material for work in
order to success hereafter. We may find
that God and His Word did not have
much place in our defeated plan; that il
was pretty much all self; and it mihgt
also appear that the former plan lacked
earnestness and energy. Having discov.
cred the cause of our recent, pride grind.
ing defeat, we may now resolve, with oul
Heavenly Fathers assistance, to make
that failure to us blessed teacher, &
remedial agency, stepping. stone tt
future success. We will redeem our for
mer defeats by future triumphs; we vii
organize victory out of failure.
The greatest workers God has ever nae
in the world have passed through this
kind of discipline; it seems nee, ssary tt
fallen humanity.
So, my dear reader, if you are suffer
ing the sting of recent defeats, don't 81
down and whine and pout about it, anG
say you will never try any more; bu
pluck up courage and try again! Per
haps that very defeat was necessary fol
you, to humble your pride, to stir ur
your stagnant energies, to drive you tc
greater efforts, to draw you to a throne o
grace. Pray and pull" and you viii
make the shore. Don't gice up, but ge
up and go-to victory.-Reo. W. II. Jor
dan, in Sunday School Times.