April 21, 2020
The Strength of the Human Spirit
“....with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19: 26
My brother preached a sermon last Sunday, which included references to the famous Lewis and Clark expedition in the early 18th century, which blazed a trail to the American West. He mentioned how “the strength of the human spirit” kept the expedition going regardless of the many obstacles in its path, including the great Rockies. There must have been at times the temptation to turn around and not deal with the troubles they knew were ahead, yet they plunged forward at great risk to their own lives. William Clark reported in his diary as written in Stephen Ambrose’s Undaunted Courage:
“When I reflected on the difficulties which this snowy barrier would most probably throw in my way to the Pacific, and the sufferings and hardships of myself and the party in them, it in some measure counterbalanced the joy I had felt in the first moments in which I gazed on them (the Rockies). As I have always held it a crime to anticipate evils I will believe it a good comfortable road until I am compelled to believe differently.”
Two words: Optimism. Hope.
We are more than aware of the many obstacles thrown in our paths to finally put ourselves far enough down the road to recovery when we can feel safe and secure to at least go about semi-normal business. But it always helpful to remember the perils our American ancestors faced and the hope they had for the future, which enabled them to achieve remarkable discoveries for the benefit of us all.
As Jesus said, “With God all things are possible.” Let us maintain that spirit.
Prayer: Gracious God, help to recall the great sacrifices made by those who went before us. Inspire us to look to the future with optimism and hope. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.
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