| Finding the Way |
Chapter 23 |
Page 4 |
We need to watch our lives in the smallest matters if we would keep our names sweet wherever we are known. Influence is most important. It is our mightiest force for good or for evil. Let us keep it pure and good for Christ, and in order to do this let us keep Christ always in it.
The end is not in this world. Our name at the close of earthly life enshrines the essence of all that men know about us. But there is much that is beautiful and good in a true and worthy life that men do not know. It is interesting to think of the name as at last including all that the person has done all the influences that have ever gone forth from the life. We are told that in nature nothing is ever wasted. Matter changes its form, but not a particle of it is lost. Wood is consumed in the fire, and the element of which it was composed are separated – some of them escaping into the air in gases and some of them remaining in the residuum of ashes – but not the smallest particle that was in the tree has really perished. We live our life in this world, our few years or many, and then cease to be. The places which have known us will know us no more. But not the smallest element of our life is lost. The things we have done, the words we have spoken, the influences we have sent out, all have taken their place in other lives and have been built into them like blocks of stone on the wall of a building.
We may believe that as in nature so in human life, not the smallest particle is ever wasted. Many things we try to do seem to fail. At least, they do not realize our desire and intention. We grieve as if the efforts had accomplished nothing. But some day we shall see that no true purpose ever has failed, that though our efforts may not all have realized what we hoped from them, yet in the unseen realm, where the true results of life are all gathered and treasured, we shall find all our hopes and dreams, all our good intentions that could not be fulfilled here, all our plans and purposes that we had not the strength to carry out in this world. Ofttimes we are defeated in our efforts to do good. We begin many things which we cannot complete. There is not a day when we live as well as we wanted to live or meant to live. We do no piece of work as beautifully as we wished and intended to do it.
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