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WITandWISDOM(tm) - May 28, 2004 ISSN 1538-8794 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: "The only difference between the difficult and the impossible is that the impossible takes a little longer.” - Thomas Edison, Inventor Source: Weekend Encounter, by Dick Innes, Copyright (c) ACTS International, 2004, http://www.actsweb.org/subscribe.htm ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: They call her Aunty Mabel . . . She remained single in order to care for her sick brother. She came from a wealthy family living in a large house in the center of Beijing. In 1949, she was branded a 'rich landowner', and was forced to leave her villa and live in a garden hut. Following the outbreak of the Cultural Revolution, she lost her job as a doctor, and was sent to a labor gang, where she had to shovel sand. The Red Army severely humiliated her, beating her, parading her through the streets with a sign listing all her 'crimes'. They put a sign outside her house, labeling her as an outcast for distributing 'imperialistic literature' (the Bible Mabel went through hell. Beaten and humiliated, she returned to her hut one day and told God "I can't go on any more". She took a large chopping knife and held it over her wrist. Before she struck, she prayed "Lord, if this is wrong, help me!" She didn't use the knife, but instead sat down and broke out in tears. She endured the beatings and scorn for eight more years. "Somehow, God gave me the strength to go on," she says. She only understood many years later; at the end of the 1970s, the Red Army was disbanded. Mabel was not rehabilitated, and was not given her house back. Instead, people sought her out; to her astonishment, many of them were high-ranking Communist officials. Even more astonishingly, they all asked for Bibles. "Why do you come to me? Of all of Beijing's population, why come to the house of a 70-year-old woman?" The answer was always the same: "During the Cultural Revolution, there was a sign in front of your house listing everything you did wrong. One of them was distributing Bibles. I came in the hope you might still have one." It was wonderfully poetic justice that the very sign which made her life hell was the key to missionary work. Through contact with a Western missions organization, Mabel managed to open the first Bible smuggling channel into the Chinese capital. Some of the Christians among the high-ranking Communist Party officials have Mabel to thank for their faith. Mabel recalls "Every day was a battle, and it was hard. But it was good to see the reason for the suffering. That strengthens my faith." Source: Mr. Mom’s Mailing List, http://mrmom.amaonline.com/ ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: Newspaper Headlines :o) New housing for elderly not yet dead. Local high school dropouts cut in half. Grandmother of eight makes hole in one. Dealers will hear car talk at noon. Marijuana issue sent to a joint committee. Hospitals are sued by 7 foot doctors. Police found safe under blanket. Taxman crushed in orange juice case. New study of obesity looks for larger test groups. Source: Smile a Day Newsletter (c), http://www.net153.com/best.htm ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Especially if you are a really good shot. Source: Quotes of the Day, mailto:rheamo@centurytel.net?subject=Subscribe_Quotes_of_the_Day ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: 70 – Percentage of vegetarians who say they exercise regularly 38 – Percentage of people who say they exercise regularly who also eat meat 98 – Percentage of Americans who are meat eaters Source: Health, May 2004, http://health.com |