The Office of National Statistics (ONS) has decided to measure how happy we are in the UK. The ONS are to survey us from next April, in order to determine our state of happiness for what they are calling their ‘National Well Being Project’. (For those who have read Huxley’s ‘1984’, their title has a somewhat sinister overtone!)
So what will be the measure? Am I richer than last year? Do I still have a job? Am I still married?! It’s a tough one. For some, happiness may be measured by not missing an episode of ‘Coronation Street’. For others, the number of parties. Others still, holidays, cars, houses….
Solomon in the Bible had a good go at determining happiness. God offered him whatever he wanted. He chose wisdom. This is what he says:
‘[Wisdom] is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who hold her fast.’ (Proverbs 3:16)
Monday 29 November 2010
Friday 5 November 2010
Small in stature, big in faith
Under 5 feet tall. Little education. Rejected by the missionary organisations. Not a promising start perhaps, but Gladys Aylward would not give up. God had called her to China -and she was going!
Working as a parlour maid in London in the 1920’s, she saved all she could and took boats and trains to get to China, with only £2 in her pocket.
On arriving, she teamed up with an older missionary and opened an Inn. Donkey herders would go past, walking at the back of their herd. So Gladys would quietly guide the lead donkey into the in courtyard, with all the other following. By the time the herders got there, they accepted that the donkeys did not want to move on, so stayed the night. It was one way of increasing trade!
The donkey herders liked to stay with Gladys and her friend- they not only had clean bedding, but were told stories every time they stayed of an amazing person called Jesus.
It wasn’t long before Gladys began to work with the children and took many orphans into her care. As war came to China, Gladys was faced with the prospect of helping 94 children in her care to escape. They climbed over the mountains and across rivers. None were lost.
The faith of a parlour maid from Edmonton, East London, with little education and no money, saved nearly 100 children from certain death.
"Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are."1 Corinthians 1: 26-28
Working as a parlour maid in London in the 1920’s, she saved all she could and took boats and trains to get to China, with only £2 in her pocket.
On arriving, she teamed up with an older missionary and opened an Inn. Donkey herders would go past, walking at the back of their herd. So Gladys would quietly guide the lead donkey into the in courtyard, with all the other following. By the time the herders got there, they accepted that the donkeys did not want to move on, so stayed the night. It was one way of increasing trade!
The donkey herders liked to stay with Gladys and her friend- they not only had clean bedding, but were told stories every time they stayed of an amazing person called Jesus.
It wasn’t long before Gladys began to work with the children and took many orphans into her care. As war came to China, Gladys was faced with the prospect of helping 94 children in her care to escape. They climbed over the mountains and across rivers. None were lost.
The faith of a parlour maid from Edmonton, East London, with little education and no money, saved nearly 100 children from certain death.
"Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are."1 Corinthians 1: 26-28
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