Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-07-01

had learned to be n good craftsman
and had a fine position about TO be Of
fered you fell and broke your arm or
had your fingers cut or by having
them caught I'm the cogs of a factory
wheel and you had to start life ali
over again. You are unlucky because
just as you were about 20 be appointed
10 certain position an enemy lied
about your character as an enemy lied
about young f-iend OF mine who was
about to become pastor OF n prominent
church In the east. Though your char
acter I'm one sense was indicated. yet
the damage was done. Another step
ped In and got the place. even as the
poor invalid at the pool OF Bethesda
was pushed aside by others again and
again when the angel of health went
down at a certain season into the pool
and troubled the waters" After hay
ing been repeatedly struck down by
misfortune after misfortune you are
today on the verge OF complete despair.
You are saying to yourself: "Oh, i am
always unlucky. What is the use OF
my trying any longcr?"
BE Patient, Not Discouraged.
olSScuIoECN, hIe yOuI les you
mutter. 'fearfully discouraged: You
have consclentiously done your level
best? Eyes. I have done my level best
1 can do nothing more" oh yes. you
can, my brother. You can let God now
come and do the rest. You are simply
"encamped before PEhahiroth. between
MigdoI and the sea. over against Baal-
zephon." God is going to open way
for you through the Red sea 10 escape
the pursuing Philistines. How? do
not know. This. however. do know.
God will rescue you IL you are patient,
only patient. He will. II like Job amid
the tragedy Of a wrecked home and
amid u ruined fortune and In the
agonles Of physical az well as mental
pain, you can say. and still continue to
say, Though he slay me. yet VIII !
trust him." God Will show TO you
direct means Of escape IL you viii only
stand still just where you are and con-
tinue TO look for the salvation of the,
Lord. You may not now think 1t. but
all things, even amid the greatest dis
couragements. all things are working
together for good to them that love the
Lord. After the darkest OF nights there
always comes the brightness of a light
giving dawn. Amid the blacklist OF
troubles there will always come a pill
lar Of fire TO lead Gods children TO q
promised land. Trust him, brother
Continue to trust God. Be patient
Just 20 on and continue TO do your
level best. All things Will ultimately
come out right II you do. That Is the
teaching or this grand old text. Stand
still and see the salvation OF the Lord"
But there is another class OF hearers
/ find today encamped among the Is
raelltish hosts near Pi-hahiroth. They
are the men and the women who are
not necessarily struggling for a finan-
cial existence, but who are unhappy
and dissatisfied with the fields In which
God has compelled them TO labor. They
know they could do better work amid
other surroundings. Or they nre say
ing TO themselves: II do not know why
II is that all my labors should be mis-
construed and unapprcciated. II God
does not open TO me another field OF
work soon / shall drop this position
anyhow"
Do Your Work the Best You Can.
Going 10 give up your present posi-
ton? You say you are not happy I'm IL?
Don't you do It, my brother. What you
need I'm life in this waiting crisis OF
yours is great big invigorating dose
of patience. Stand still just where you
are. and do your work the best way
you can and see the salvation OF the
Lord. God does not, rs n rule call his
workmen from nothing 10 something
great, but from small position OF
influence 60 n higher position OF in
iluence. When Christ wanted TO select
his cabinet and TO I'LL the apostolic POI
sitions of the fishers or men," he did
not go into the market place, where he
could find the loafers idling around
He went down TO the shores OF Lake
Galilee and found two stalwart men
casting their nets into the sea. He
said to Peter and Andrew, his brother.
Follow me, and / will make you fish
ers or men," 1t is nearly always a
hard struggle for a man In a small Do
sition TO climb up into a higher posi-
ton. But ii Is nearly always an al
most impossible struggle for n man out
OF a job TO be called 10 n fine position.
Christ uttered sound philosophy when
he said in his parable: Take therefore
the talent from him and give IL unto
him who hath ten talents. For unto
every one that hath shall be given and
ne shall have abundance, but from him
that hath not shall be taken away even
that which he hath" 1t Is easy enough
Tor the pastor OF n successful church
or New York 10 be called TO prosper
Gus church OF Chicago, But minister
without a pulpit. though he be q giant
among preachers. has an almost insur-
mountable undertaking 20 be called TO
any strong pulpit. The man without q |
JOB Is man whose failure Is stamped
upon his brow, and every one looks nj |
MIN with suspicion. Be patient Every
thing Will come out all right Just be |
patient.
Not as Important as We Thfnk. !
But there is still another reason whv
90 not want you 10 give up that po- |
sitioh which seems TO fret you. AS |
Tar as l can make out. you are getting
In life Just about as much as you de- |
serve. Instead OF complaining. you
ought TO get down on your knees and |
thank God for the position which he /
mas given to you. Why should you
expect God to make you his favorite
child and allow you TO rest upon bed
or roses? Are you any different frem
any or his other children? Are you so
smart or so good or SO humble that
you have a right to expect more than
they? Instead or grambling about
your small position. you should see
men, In every way your superiors.
mentally and spiritually, oc-
cupying smaller positions than YOU.
be patient In that work God has given
10 you. Most OF usage. perhaps all OF
us-have all we deserve in life, and
more too. II God wants US to so high
er. he VIII open the way. If he does
not open the way, then let us do what
he wants us TO do. You and are not |