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During Napoleon's invasion of Russia, his troops were battling in
the middle of yet another small town in that endless wintry land, when
he was accidentally separated from his men. A group of Russian Cossacks
spotted him and began chasing him through the twisting streets.
Napoleon ran for his life and ducked into a little furrier's shop on a
side alley. As Napoleon entered the shop, gasping for breath, he saw
the furrier and cried piteously, "Save me, save me! Where can I hide?"
The furrier said, "Quick, under this big pile of furs in the corner,"
and he covered Napoleon up with many furs.
No sooner had he finished than the Russian Cossacks burst in the
door shouting, "Where is he? We saw him come in." Despite the
furrier's protests, they tore his shop apart trying to find Napoleon.
They poked into the pile of furs with their swords but didn't find him.
Soon, they gave up and left.
After some time, Napoleon crept out from under the furs, unharmed,
just as Napoleon's personal guards came in the door. The furrier turned
to Napoleon and said timidly, "Excuse me for asking this question of
such a great man, but what was it like to be under those furs, knowing
that the next moment would surely be your last?"
Napoleon drew himself up to his full height and said to the furrier
indignantly, "How could you ask me, the Emperor Napoleon, such a
question? Guards, take this impudent man out, blindfold him and execute
him. I, myself, will personally give the command to fire!"
The guards grabbed the furrier, dragged him outside, stood him
against a wall and blindfolded him. The furrier could see nothing, but
he could hear the guards shuffle into line and prepare their rifles.
Then he heard Napoleon clear his throat and call out, "Ready! Aim!" In
that moment, a feeling he could not describe welled up within him; tears
poured down his cheeks.
Suddenly the blindfold was stripped from his eyes. Although
partially blinded by the sunlight he could see Napoleon's eyes looking
intently into his own -- eyes that seemed to see every dusty corner of
his soul.
Then Napoleon said, "Now you know."
There are some things that simply cannot be described to you. If
you haven't experienced them for yourself, you can't begin to know the
feeling. If you've never sat by the bed of your father while cancer eats
away at his body, you can't begin to know what it feels like. If you've
never had a spouse walk out the door knowing they will never return, you
can't begin to know what it feels like. If you've never had to bury a
daughter before she was old enough to ride a bicycle, you can't begin to
know what it feels like.
The list could go on and on. Eventually, I would get to what
weighs on your soul. You have friends who try to comfort you by saying,
"I understand," but deep down you know they don't. They can't. Not
without experiencing it for themselves, and you wouldn't wish that on
them.
What that means, though, is that you are in a position to minister
in a special way to people who are suffering the same thing that you
have suffered in the past. God is able to use your past painful
experiences to help others in a way that no one else can. If you have
had to deal with an alcoholic family member, you are in a position to
minister to others in that situation. If you have suffered the death of
a young child, you are in a position to minister to others in that
situation. If you have raised a child as a single parent, you are able
to minister to others in that situation.
The list could go on and on. Eventually, I would get to what you
have suffered in the past. It was painful. It was tough to get
through. But having done so, be aware of the opportunities you now have
to be of service to others. You know exactly how they feel. Let them
know that.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father
of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our
tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any
trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."
(2 Cor. 1:3-4)
Alan Smith
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY (Sept. 21, 2004)
read by over 11,000 subscribers in 90 countries
YOU KNOW HOW IT FEELS
It is not sufficient for religious people to be involved with prayer. Rather, they are morally obliged to contribute all they can to solving the world's problems.
- His Holiness the Dalai Lama
The largest bell in the world is the Tsar Kolokol in the Kremlin in Moscow. It’s 20’ 2” high and 21’ 8” in diameter. Cast in 1735, it weighs 222.56 tons and has never been wrung...it cracked before it was installed.
