Thoughts for Tuesday

“Better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.” Polish proverb.

Ljbomir Velichovic was a Serbian violinist who arrived in South Africa all on his own. He’d signed a contract to play for the symphony orchestra and had looked forward to leaving Yugoslavia, which was then under the dictator, Tito. He learned of the Cape Bible Seminary classes I taught and immediately enrolled in the first one that was available — he was eager to study the Bible and wanted to start right away.

I told him that it would be difficult:  the course I was teaching was in the middle of the largest African township in the city. Ljbomir didn’t have a car nor a driver’s license. Don’t worry, Stefan, he told me, just give me the place and I will find it! I warned him that this was very dangerous — his English was fair but sometimes difficult to understand. I was afraid he’d wind up in Mozambique!

Fifteen minutes before the class began, Ljbomir arrived with five African men. I was surprised and asked him how it had happened. He said that it had taken him a few hours of mistakes to find the place but the African minibus taxi drivers had been so helpful. Some of the drivers and passengers came along to make sure he found the place! They all stayed for the day long Bible classes!

Aren’t there times when we’re faced with difficulties that we think are so mountainous that it would take just too much time, energy and effort? We defeat ourselves before we start.

I think one of the best answers would be this:  light a candle and consider the power of the light in our lives!

Steve