QUIET HOUR

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 3 October 1925, Page 14

QUIET HOUR

EVEN IN THE DARKNESS. ‘ (A broadcast sermon by H. R. L. Sheppard, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Loudon.) I don’t think there are any people whom one more admires than those who are really having a rough time, and still keep smiling. You and I have often sat in the sick room, or by the side of some tired-looking woman whose husband is out of work and whose kiddies maybe are ailing, and when in reply to our poor question “How goes it?”.they are able to pull out of their heart'the words'“l mustn’t grumble,” or “Well, things might be worse than* they are,” like me, I expect, you have had a desire almost to get on your knees before them, and to thank them for showing you the last word in courage and nobility. I don’t know whether you notice, but I do, that the people who complain most arc? usually the people who have least to complain about, while the people who do. not complain are often those who have most to bear. I sometimes think of my ideal of a Christian as one who worries a great deal about his neighbour’s troubles and, so far as he can, refuses to worry about his own. To be • able in these dark, perplexing days to show a smile with which to face the world, to be able to push back the darkness and show a bright countenance • to those near you, is surely to accomplish one of the greatest things that a man may possibly achieve—not to let the in you get the better of the hero, not to let her or him know just how horribly the pain .hurts. This is greatness. Those who so do are public benefactors, and are rendering the greatest possible service to man. No one, I don’t care how humble his job is, has ever lived in vain who lias been able in the darkness to show the light of a smile. Now, you won’t think it impertinent, will you, if I say one word in praise of those of you who make light of your own troubles, and much of your neighbours’ ills. It is this: “If there be, as there surely is, a God who understands and loves, and is just, it will be to you that He will one day most assuredly say: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant, come where all tears are wiped away, come where you don’t have to worry overmuch about to-morrow.’ ”

And now one word to those who do complain unnecessarily; a word to “grousers,” and there are doubtless many listening to-night. May I just ask you one question, Have you really any just reason for complaint? If you have, you are numbered among those to whom it would be impertinent for me to speak. But if you have not, then for God’s sake realise that there are no people so unlovely to live with as those who never will look upon the brighter side of things and never will say a word of encouragement to their neighbours. There are some people besides who think that any word of gratitude to their friends is bad for them. I don’t know how you feel, but I would work myself to the bone for anyone who acknowledged my effort, but I would feel inclined to do as little as I could for anyone wlio merely finds fault. Again, do not discourage children.:. The other day a little child who had brought to her mother a drawing over which she had spent much time and much effort, obviously expecting some praise/ was greeted with this remark: “Get away with your silly drawing, I don’t want to look at it. ’ ’ Of course, the mother did not mean to hurt her child. But the word of discouragement harms children even more than grown-ups.

One day, some time ago, I met a lady just after her children had recovered from influenza, and I said to her "How well you are looking.” "Yes,” she said, "but I don’t feel it.” Then I said "I am so glad to hear the children have-got over the influenza,” and she said, "Well, they have got over it, but I have a sort of feeling that Mary is going to get chicken-pox.” be like that. May I further make a suggestion to you men, who are often much less flue in character than your womenfolk: I would suggest, that you think for a moment of all, say, your wife has done for you—how you took her from a happy home, 'and liow often she has toiled and cooked and mended and worked for you, aud made you the bit of a man that you are. Why not sometimes—well—kiss her on her forehead and say, "Thank you, my dear, for being so brave, and so uncomplaining, and even for bearing with me as bravely as you have done.”

I think it is the duty of all who desire to be Christians to be brave in adversity. It is one of the things that a Christian should always try to do. There is a lovely verse in one of the Psalms which says, "Who, going through the vale of misery use it for a well, and the pools thereof are filled with water. ” It talks of folk who are having, a rough time and who yet are gathering out of the darkness and misery sufficient to give them what they need to carry on. And why I would love to be a Christian, and a better Christian than I am is because I do believe that Christian-, ity stands. for giving a man or woman a certain amount of that lovely, glorious, radiance that was in the face of our,Master, Jesus Christ.

And I would end by saying ope verse to you, which has somehow-got into the hearts of English people, so that it does speak of hope and courage in darkness, even when men hear it casually repeated/ If I could 1 would repeat this verse to you with the whole power of Christ behind: "Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” That means,' in our language, "I will keep you bravely smiling, even in the darkness.”