Imperial Valley Press

One hears so much these days of people who have "lost"!

"I've lost everything," someone cries in despair. Not long ago when the storm hit Cuba some relatives of Arizonans cabled, "Both safe, everything destroyed."

What was destroyed if both were safe? Material possessions? Yes, a hotel they had built together was completely wrecked. But what of it? Did they not have the courage still that they had when they built it? Could any storm destroy this spirit of achieving, this spirit of adventure—of facing life with shoulders squared?

Some one has said, "Begin spinning your web and God will supply the thread." Certainly this beginning to spin involves faith, a hopeful outlook, and a very great deal of courage. Once there was an old woman who lived in a shack. She had nothing to eat but she put the tea kettle on the fire and started boiling the water. A neighbor happened to come in and offered to make the tea and had brought some chicken broth.

"I haven't any tea," said the brave old dear, smiling.

"Why then did you put the kettle on?" asked the astonished woman.

"Because I had asked God for it, and I figured that not to have the water boiling would be to doubt God—so I put the kettle on."

Of course she got the tea! The neighbor brought it. Perhaps you are going to say that this is mere coincidence; perhaps, too, you are going to say that it can't be explained away on these grounds, but it is a strange thing that when individuals actually have the courage and faith to go ahead when they cannot see the next step they usually win out. Those who fail as a rule are the ones who wait to see the whole road before starting.

Perhaps you are going to tell me that this woman was a credulous soul who knew little about the world—but listen to this!

I sat with Charmian London and the publisher of a large newspaper at luncheon recently and Mrs. London said: "You know I've found the wisdom of never trying too hard to do anything. I just wait and gradually the ideas I need come to me. Life is so interesting, isn't it? It seems if you try too hard, the results don't come, but if one relaxes, waits patiently, sometimes quietly, things come beautifully."

This publisher said, "Odd, I've had the same experience. Often a problem is very baffling and presents difficulties which for a while seem impossible to solve—then suddenly perhaps in the middle of the night, the answer comes—from whence?

How many times, Mr. Reader, have you had something come to you as you walked down the street?

What do YOU think it is SOMETHING is? From whence do you think it comes?

To me that is proof that there is a POWER greater than our own little brains. I even asked a very fine brain surgeon about this one time and he said, "Of course there is a POWER WITHOUT the brain. It is this power which I call THOUGHT."

"And what," I asked "is THOUGHT?"

"Why, it must be God," he answered.

We haven't lost anything in this depression that actually matters unless we've slipped into the mire of mental despond, into fear, and then truly our loss has been great!

Brace up! There's so much left to achieve, so much to conquer, so much to win! Life is really quite glorious—even if one sleeps under the stars! The Wise Men of old did!