During the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England, sentenced a soldier to be shot for his crimes.
The execution was to take place at the ringing of the evening curfew bell. However, the bell did not sound.
The soldier’s fiancé had climbed into the belfry and clung to the great clapper of the bell to prevent it from striking.
When she was summoned by Cromwell to account for her actions, she wept as she showed him her bruised and bleeding hands. Cromwell’s heart was touched and he said, “Your lover shall live because of your sacrifice. Curfew shall not ring tonight!”
Plato wrote the first sentence of his famous Republic nine different ways before he was satisfied.
Cicero practiced speaking before friends every day for thirty years to perfect his elocution.
Noah Webster labored 36 years writing his dictionary, crossing the Atlantic twice to gather material.
Milton rose at 4:00 am every day in order to have enough hours for his Paradise Lost.
Gibbon spent 26 years on his Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
Bryant rewrote one of his poetic masterpieces 99 times before publication, and it became a classic.
It is said that Thomas Edison performed 50,000 (sic) experiments before he succeeded in producing a storage battery. We might assume the famous inventor would have had some serious doubts along the way. But when asked if he ever became discouraged working so longwithout results, Edison replied, “Results? Why, I know 50,000 things that won’t work.”
Today in the Word, August, 1990.
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Proverbs 6:16-19. These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
11/27–A farmer who noticed that smoke was coming from the middle of his wheat field and went to examine the place and he indeed found that someone had started a fire.
Now instead of putting it out, he wanted everyone to see and show them what someone had started in his field. However, as he picked up the fire for evidence and started carrying it out of the field he noticed that he was dropping sparks of fire and as he looked back he had set his whole field on fire.
Sometimes it is just better to put an end to things rather than spread gossip about someone.
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but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.
Where no counsel is, the people fall:
but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
Humor:
Stumpy and his wife Martha went to the state fair every year and every year when Stumpy saw the antique bi-plane he would say, “Martha, I’d like to ride in that airplane.” Martha always replied, “I know Stumpy, but that airplane ride costs 10 dollars, and 10 dollars is 10 dollars.
One year Stumpy and Martha went to the fair and Stumpy said, “Martha, I’m 81 years old. If I don’t ride that airplane I might never get another chance.” Martha replied, “Stumpy, that airplane ride cost 10 dollars, and 10 dollars is 10 dollars.
The pilot overheard them and said, “Folks, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll take you both up for a ride. If you can stay quiet for the entire ride and not say one word, I won’t charge you; but if you say one word it’s 10 dollars.”
Stumpy and Martha agreed and up they went. The pilot did all kinds of twists and turns, rolls and dives, but not a word was heard. He did all his tricks over again, but still not a word.
When they landed, the pilot turned to Stumpy and said, I did everything I could think of to get you to yell out, but you didn’t.”
Stumpy replied, “Well, I was gonna say something when Martha fell out, but 10 dollars is 10 dollars.”
There’s a Spanish story of a father and son who had become estranged. The son ran away, and the father set off to find him. He searched for months to no avail. Finally, in a last desperate effort to find him, the father put an ad in a Madrid newspaper. The ad read: Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father. On Saturday 10 Pacos showed up, looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers.
Bits & Pieces, October 15, 1992, pp. 1
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Compassion is more than a feeling—it’s a bridge that connects our heart to someone else’s hurt. It is love in motion, kindness with hands and feet, concern that refuses to stay silent. Compassion doesn’t just notice; compassion steps in.
In a world that can often feel cold, rushed, and distracted, compassion is a light that still breaks through the cracks. And here’s the amazing thing: it doesn’t take much to change someone’s entire day.
A gentle word.
A listening ear.
A moment of understanding.
A small act of kindness that costs us little but means the world to someone else.
Compassion doesn’t ask, “Does this person deserve it?” — compassion asks, “How can I help?”
Jesus showed us the greatest example. Over and over in Scripture it says, “He was moved with compassion.” He didn’t wait for perfect conditions or perfect people. He simply cared, and because He cared, lives were lifted, healed, and restored.
Today, November 26, let this be your reminder: Your compassion is somebody’s miracle.
You have no idea what someone is battling behind their smile. One act of grace from you might be the very encouragement that keeps them going.
Don’t underestimate the power of a soft heart in a hard world.
Speak kindly.
Show patience.
Offer help.
Give grace.
Forgive quickly.
Love deeply.
Compassion doesn’t just change others—it changes you. It softens your spirit, strengthens your character, and draws you closer to the heart of God.
Let your day be marked by compassion, and watch how God uses you to bless others.
11/26–The emperor Frederick, who ruled the Roman Empire in the 13th century, thought it would be a useful experiment to discover what our original language was — Hebrew, Greek, Latin or whatever.
So he decided to isolate a few infants from the sound of any human voice. He reasoned that, if so isolated from anything prejudicial, when they spoke, it would be in the universal, natural tongue of the human species.
Wet nurses were obtained to care for these infants. But they were sworn to absolute silence and could not engage in any socializing with these infants in any way.
From the moment they were born, these infants never heard the sound or hum or song of a human. Within a year they were all dead.
(from Earl A. Loomis, Jr. M.D., The Self In Pilgrimage, New York: Harper, 1960, p. 54.)
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A businessman made an appointment with a local pastor to discuss acquiring the pastor’s services for a funeral. Upon learning the deceased was a dog, the pastor rather sternly asked the man to look elsewhere for help, and lectured the man regarding the dignity of the pastorate.
Before leaving, the man asked the pastor to make his pastor friends aware of the $300 honorarium that he would provide. The pastor quickly responded, “Oh, come back in. You didn’t tell me that you dog was a Christian
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