August 27, 2004

[Rev. Doc]

Problems

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,"
James 1:2

Problems that we face in life can be seen as trials that drag us down or opportunities to grow.

Glenn Olds was born in Sherwood, Oregon, in 1921 and was a "magna cum laude" graduate of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. He received his bachelor of divinity degree from Garrett Theological Seminary and his Master of Arts degree in philosophy from Northwestern University. In 1948 he received his Ph.D. from Yale University and was appointed a member of the DePaul University faculty. He is the former President of Kent State University.
Dr. Olds recalled the sight of Mt. Rushmore as he hitchhiked cross-country in 1941 during his junior year at Garrett. From 10 miles back, he recognized Washington and Lincoln. But in the middle was a figure that looked like Adolf Hitler.

Once close, instead of hair combed over a forehead, the young man saw guy wires, instead of a mustache, he saw scaffolding. The image stuck, and he made a note in his journal. "What was Adolf Hitler at 10 miles away was Thomas Jefferson under construction," he said. The experience became a parable: "Almost every major problem at a distance looks bad. When you get up close, you can see it's something terribly important under construction."

Prayer: Ask God to help you remember that what we will become is often obscured by the events that will shape us.

"If it weren't for the rocks in its bed, the stream would have no song." ~Carl Perkins