Philippians 2:14-15 (NIV)
14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that
you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped
and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky
Dinah Shore said, "There are no hopeless situations
-- only people who are hopeless about them." Case in point: Morgan Rowe.
Some 30 years ago, when he was only 11 years old, he lost his left arm and much
of the use of his right arm. It happened when he fell off a tractor at his
father's fence company in Valdosta, Georgia, and was dragged beneath the
machine. Morgan's left arm was destroyed and his right, mangled.
Young Morgan was released from the hospital after
three-and-a-half months. The first thing he set out to do was to help pay the
bills -- $30,000 worth. That was a lot of money back then as it is now. For a
boy of 11 to accomplish such a task, the situation seemed hopeless.
For five years Morgan scoured roadsides picking up cans
and bottles. He collected thousands of cans and collected and sold newspapers.
He never gave up hope. First, he paid off the $455 ambulance bill. Then he put
$2,500 down on the hospital bill. He was still a long way off though his
parents raised another $9,000 toward the debt.
People began to hear about the injured boy and eventually
some 2,000 donations poured in, totaling $25,000. The bill was paid in full!
Morgan set aside the additional money for future education.
What then? Though the bill was paid up, Morgan kept his
projects going to collect money for the hospital so he could help others.
Someone forgot to tell the boy he was too injured for
that kind of work. Someone neglected to inform him that the situation was
hopeless. Somehow young Morgan didn't realize that an 11-year-old boy could
never pay off a hospital bill so large.
Martin Luther once said, "Everything that is done in
the world is done by the hopeful." No matter your age. No matter your
circumstances. No matter your financial wealth. Without hope, nothing is
possible. But with hope...well...watch out!
Dear Lord, we pray that no matter our circumstance that
we will always do our best. Help us not let the things around us discourage us
but instead that we would work even harder. In Jesus, Name, Amen.
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