"Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing is so gentle as real strength." Ralph SockmanThe hardest thing I ever did was to cancel my wedding nine days before I was to get married. I
had to contact the church, reception venue, florist, pianist, caterer, photographer, and more. I had to send cancellations to every friend and family member, to return shower gifts and explain my decision to far more people than I would have liked. But the hardest part was telling my fiancé I wouldn’t marry him. Following this I had to listen to him rage for a few hours, all the while keeping my cool and never saying an angry word in response. You see my fiancé was an alcoholic who said he had stopped drinking. At the time I didn’t know that it would take more than saying he would stop drinking in order to actually quit. I knew he had started drinking again when he started treating me badly. I asked him to stop. When he said he wouldn’t, I simply told him, “Then I can’t marry you.” No reasons, no arguments, no explanations, and I wasn’t tempted to defend my choice against his arguments. The next day I called my sister. Her first comment was, “I didn’t think you had the strength to do it.” My reply, “I didn’t do it, God did.” I had relied on Him for the courage to confront my fiancé, the strength to stick to my resolve, gentleness not to speak even one word with an attitude, and peace not to be drawn into a shouting match. After this episode, I finally understood the Serenity Prayer personally:
Is there something that you're trying to change that you can't control? Are you reluctant to take action on something within your control? Is today the day to rely on God for gentle strength? Lord, thank You for a peaceful heart to remain gentle under pressure, and the courage to rely on You for strength. “The Lord is my strength..." Exodus 15:2a What are your thoughts? Libby Note: Ralph Sockman (1889-1970) was the featured speaker on the weekly NBC radio program, National Radio Pulpit from 1928 to 1962. In 1961 Time magazine dubbed Sockman "the best Protestant preacher in the U.S.”
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WelcomeI love the wisdom of the ages gleaned from relevant quotes. In them there is a connection to the human experience that crosses all borders. Join me as I relate my personal experiences, and link the wisdom of the quote to the Source of all wisdom: God's Word, the Bible. Enjoy, Libby Categories
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