Accomplishing More In Failures

In his award-winning Profiles in Courage, John F. Kennedy tells the story of George W. Norris of Nebraska.  Norris began his career as a country teacher on the plains of Nebraska, then a small-town lawyer, a local prosecuting attorney and judge.  In 1903, he entered the House of Representatives, and he was later elected to the Senate.  Kennedy describes him as a "chunky figure" clothed in "drab black suits, white shirts, and little shoestring ties."

Norris was an independent-thinking Republican who sometimes took up unpopular causes and fought uphill battles, saying, "I would rather go down to my political grave with a clear conscience than ride in the chariot of victory."

Interestingly, he lost many of his most anguishing political fights.  But years later, looking back over his life and career, Norris made this observation to a friend:  It happens very often that one tries to do something and fails.  He feels discouraged, and yet he may discover years afterward that the very effort he made was the reason why somebody else took it up and succeeded.  I really believe that whatever use I have been to progressive civilization has been accomplished in the things I failed to do rather than in the things I actually did do.

- John F. Kennedy, Profiles in Courage (Pocket Books, Inc., 1956)

There Is Something Waiting For Me

A self-made millionaire Eugene Lang greatly changed the lives of a sixth-grade class in East Harlem.  Mr. Lang had been asked to speak to a class of the fifty-nine sixth-graders.  What could he say to inspire these students, most of whom would drop out of school?  He wondered how he could get these predominantly black and Puerto Rican children even to look at him.

Scrapping his notes, he decided to speak to them from his heart.  "Stay in school," he admonished, "and I'll help pay the college tuition of every one of you."

At that moment the lives of those student changed.  For the first time they had hope.

One student said, "I had something to look forward to, something waiting for me.  It was a golden feeling."

Nearly ninety percent of that class went on to graduate from high school.

- Parade magazine

Mischief In The Dark

A young soldier and his commanding officer got on a train together.  The only available seats were across from an attractive young lady who was traveling with her grandmother.

As the four engaged in conversation, the soldier and the young lady kept eyeing one another.  There was an obvious mutual attraction.

Suddenly, the train went into a tunnel, sending the train car into darkness.  Immediately two sounds were heard: the smack of a kiss followed by the whack of a slap across someone's face.

The grandmother thought, I can't believe he kissed my granddaughter, but I'm glad she gave him the smack he deserved.

The commanding officer thought, I don't blame the boy for kissing the girl, but it's a shame that she missed him and hit me instead.

The young girl thought, I'm glad he kissed me, but I wish my grandmother hadn't slapped him for doing it.

And as the train broke into the sunlight, the soldier couldn't help but smile.  He had managed to kiss a pretty girl and slap his commanding officer and get away with both!

- Wayne Rice, Still More Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks (Zondervan Publishing House, 1999)

Frustrating Toil Becomes A Fun Goal

Henry Emerson Fosdick wrote about growing up in upstate New York where one summer's day his mother sent him out to pick a quart of raspberries. 

"I dragged my feet in rebellion," he said, "and the can was filling very slowly.  Then a new idea came: it would be fun to pick two quarts of raspberries and surprise her.  I had so interesting a time picking two quarts to the utter amazement of the household, and they never forgot it.  I have often forgotten the philosophy of it: we can change any situation by changing our attitude toward it."

- Alan Loy McGinnis, The Power of Optimism (Harper & Row Publishers, 1990)

Guilty With Krispy Kreme Money

After John Jefferson robbed a Krispy Kreme Doughnut store in Kingsport, Tennessee, in 1999, he bought dope. But he couldn’t enjoy it because he was plagued with guilt. Months later, even after moving to Kansas, the guilt remained. So Jefferson decided to confess.

Jefferson called Detective David Cole of the Kingsport Police Department and identified himself as the robber. “I couldn’t take it anymore,” Jefferson said in an interview. “I was sick and tired of the way I was living. I didn’t want to die in a crack house, and I didn’t want to smoke crack anymore.”

After pleading guilty, Jefferson served a six-year sentence. Upon his release, he tried several times to return to the Krispy Kreme store and repay the money he had stolen, but he kept turning around before he could get there. Finally, Jefferson called David Cole again and asked him to accompany him to the store. Though he had stolen $300, Jefferson returned $400 to the robbery victim, who asked him to donate the money to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“I felt like a million bucks when I walked out of that place,” Jefferson said.

 — “What Goes Around, Comes Around,” FoxNews.com (December 21, 2005)

Only Seven Years

In Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, the central character, Raskolnikov, finally confessed his crime and was sent to Siberia.  Sonya, the girl who loved him, followed voluntarily and found a job in a town nearest his work camp.  At first, Raskolnikov was bitter about his exile and contemptuous of everyone, including Sonya.  But the day came when her unflagging love and humble service melted his heart, and he loved her in return.

Dostoyevsky writes, "They were renewed by love; the heart of each held infinite resources of life for the heart of the other.  they had another seven years to wait, and what terrible suffering and infinite happiness before them!  But he had risen again, and he knew it and felt it in his being, while she--she lived only in his life.  Seven years, only seven years!"

- Roy B. Zuck, The Speaker's Quote Book (Christian Literature Crusade, 1997)

How Hard Do You Hit Your Problem?

A young boy wanted to play contact sports, particularly American style football and rugby, but was hesitant to do so because he thought that he was too small.  One day he shared this concern with his sister's friend.  The sister's friend picked up a potato and a plastic straw.

He asked the young boy, "Do you think this little straw can go through this big potato?"

The boy replied, "No way, it's too small and thin."

His sister's friend said, "You are wrong."  Then with great speed he pushed the straw straight through the potato.

The boy sat wide-eyed and in disbelief.

His sister's friend said, "It does not matter how small you are, what matters is how hard you hit your problem."

- Craig A. Smith, Sermon Illustrations For An Asian Audience (OMF Literature Inc., 2004)