It's another rainy, gray day in Auburn, Washington. The kind of morning that needs good food, lots of light to highlight Christmas decorations, and inspiring stories.
On December 1, 1863, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was dining alone at his home when a telegram arrived with the news that his son had been severely wounded. Henry and Charley’s younger brother, Ernest, immediately set out for Washington, D.C. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was alarmed when informed by the army surgeon that his son’s wound “was very serious” and that “paralysis might ensue.” Three surgeons gave a more favorable report that evening, suggesting a recovery that would require him to be “long in healing,” at least six months.
On Friday, December 25, 1863, Longfellow—as a 57-year-old widowed father of six children, the oldest of whom had been nearly paralyzed as his country fought a war against itself—wrote a poem seeking to capture the dynamic and dissonance in his own heart and the world he observed around him that Christmas Day.
Their old, familiar carols play,
and wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men."
"Seeking Help"
In the middle of a terrible war, a commanding officer sat alone. Dirty, wounded, in despair, he sat by the dim glow of a well-shaded light. A new year would begin the next day. What would it bring? More fighting and discouragement and problems? Never had life seemed blacker Never had he felt more helpless or burdened with responsibilty.
He cried out, “O God, what shall I do? My men are sick and tired. They want to go home. So do I. Yet we’re stuck here in the mud and cold. Sometimes we aren’t even sure why we are here. Please, God, give me light to meet this dark night and this new year, which looks even darker.”
For a long time, the only sound that broke the silence was gunfire in the distance. Then the officer seemed to hear a voice deep inside his soul, “Trust me. Walk with me. It will be better than any light.”
Encouraged, the officer lay down for a nap. After snatching a few hours of sleep, he arose and led his soldiers to victory.
Have you ever felt like the officer? The next time you’re feeling down, consider saying something like this. “Maybe nobody else knows how I feel right now, but God knows. I’ll trust Him, and wait for things to get better.”
The situation may not change, but He can send the strength needed to hang on, fight again, and win.
"In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it" (John 1:4, 5).
Tiny Tim said in A Christmas Carol, "God bless us, everyone." May you search for and find joy and peace in this new and different Christmas, then smile, and dream of 2021.
3 comments:
Inspiring stories, encouraging post.
I needed this. These stories were so uplifting. Thanks.
Thank you. Judy and Linda. Posting to Reece's Ramblings is one of the joys in my life.
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