Lost

By Roy Goodmiller

"The loss of wealth is much;
The loss of health is more;
But the loss of Christ is such a loss
That no man can restore."

Someone else has written, "Sheep get lost, not because of the thicket, but because they wander away too far from the shepherd."

When the late Adlai Stevenson ran for President of the United States and lost to General Dwight Eisenhower, he said after the election, "I fell like the little boy who stubbed his toe; I'm too old to cry, but it hurts too much to laugh." It always hurts when we stop to realize that most of the world will be lost eternally, and we can do so little about it. It hurts when we realize that some are "not far from the kingdom;" and we can't persuade them to be "altogether as I am" (Acts 26:29). It hurts when we realize that there are so many in the church who were "once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift" (Heb. 6:4), and yet have turned their backs on the Lord and serve Him no more.

A very wise writer said concerning those who fall away, "Someone asks why so many church members fall. Here's one answer in a parable. When a boy was asked why he fell out of bed, he replied, "I guess it's because I stayed too close to the getting-in place."

Source:
Weekly bulletin of the Jackson Church of Christ, Jackson, MO, date unknown.

Independence

By Scott Harrison

On November 20, 1988, the Los Angeles Times reported, "A screaming woman trapped in a car dangling from a freeway transition road in East Los Angeles was rescued Saturday morning. The 19-year-old woman apparently fell asleep behind the wheel about 12:15 A.M. The car, which plunged through a guardrail, was left dangling by its left rear wheel. A half dozen passing motorists stopped, grabbed some ropes from one of their vehicles, tied the ropes to the back of the woman's car, and hung on until the fire units arrived. A ladder was extended from below to help stabilize the car while firefighters tied the vehicle to tow trucks with cables and chains. "Every time we would move the car," said one of the rescuers, "she'd yell and scream. She was in pain."

"It took almost 2 1/2 hours for the passers-by, CHP officers, tow truck drivers, and firefighters - about 25 people in all - to secure the car and pull the woman to safety. "It was kinda funny," L. A. County Fire Capt. Ross Marshall recalled later. "She kept saying, "I'll do it myself."

There are times when self-sufficiency goes too far.

Source:
Leadership, Summer 1991, p. 49.

For Parents

"I've got two A's," the small boy cried. His voice was filled with glee.
    His father very bluntly asked, "Why didn't you get three?"

"Mom, I've got the dishes done," the girl called from the door.
    Her mother very calmly said, "Did you sweep the floor?"

"I've mowed the grass," the tall boy said. "And put the mower away."
    His father asked him, with a shrug, "Did you clean off the clay?"

The children in the house next door seemed happy and content.
    The same things happen over there, but this is how it went:

"I've got two A's," the small boy cried. His voice was filled with glee.
    His father very proudly said, "That's great; I'm glad  you belong to me."

"Mom, I've got the dishes done," the girl called from the door.
    Her mother smiled and softly said, "Each day I love you more."

"I've mowed the grass," the tall boy said. "And put the mower away."
    His father answered with such joy, "You've made my happy day."

Children deserve a little praise for the tasks they're asked to do,
    If they're to lead a happy life, so much depends on you.

Source:
Holly Springs News, Holly Springs Church of Christ, Holly Springs, MO, July 5, 1989, p. 2.

Death

By John Claypool

Winston Churchill had planned his funeral, which took place in Saint Peter's Cathedral. He included many of the great hymns of the church and used the eloquent Anglican liturgy. At his direction, a bugler, positioned high in the dome of Saint Paul's, intoned, after the benediction, the sound of "Taps," the universal signal that says the day is over.

But then came the most dramatic turn: as Churchill instructed, as soon as "Taps" was finished, another bugler, placed on the other side of the great dome, played the notes of "Reveille" - "It's time to get up. It's time to get up in the morning."

That was Churchill’s testimony that at the end of history, the last note will not be "Taps;" it will be "Reveille." The worst things are never the last things.

Source:
Leadership, Winter 1991, p. 49.

Crisis

The Chinese write the word "crisis" with two characters. One means danger and the other means opportunity.

Source:
Pulpit Helps, date unknown.

Courage

By David Walls

Peter Cartwright, a nineteenth-century circuit-riding Methodist preacher, was an uncompromising man. One Sunday morning when he was to preach, he was told that President Andrew Jackson was in the congregation, and warned not to say anything out of line.

When Cartwright stood to preach, he said, "I understand that Andrew Jackson is here. I have been requested to be guarded in my remarks. Andrew Jackson will go to hell if he doesn't repent."

The congregation was shocked and wondered how the President would respond. After the service, President Jackson shook hands with Peter Cartwright and said, "Sir, if I had a regiment of men like you, I could whip the world."

Source:
Leadership, Winter 1991, p. 49.