MAKING THE BEST OF IT

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Aug 17, 1904

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 30, No. 33.

MAKING THE BEST OF IT.

“You are building a good wall there,” said a passer-by, stopping to look at a workman by the roadside. “Some of your material looks rather poor to work with, too.” And he glanced at a pile of rather rough, jagged stones.

“I don’t choose my materials,” the man answered simply. “What I’m here for is to build as good a wall as I can with the stuff that’s brought me.”

The same is true of the life we are building. We can seldom choose our material. Circumstances we can not control bring us this or that, bring disappointment instead of the joy we look for, weakness instead of the strength with which we meant to do so much. Many a rough and unexpected thing befalls, many an occurrence which we not only did not desire, but against which we cry out in bitter protest. Still it comes to us—material that some way, for good or ill, must find its place in our building. We can not choose our material, but we can choose what we will do with it and what it shall do for us—whether it shall weaken or strengthen the character we are forming.—Selected.