Our Daily Bread

Early in the last century, sculptor Gutzon Borglum (1867-1941) gazed at the cliffs of South Dakota’s Black Hills. He envisioned what no one else could—the sculpted faces of US presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt.

Adolf Hitler was dead. Germany was embarking on the overwhelming task of rebuilding itself as a nation. The German theologian Karl Barth had just returned from exile in Switzerland to the University of Bonn. With the noise of cranes and earthmovers in the background, Barth began his first lecture to a class of war-weary students. His very first sentence was: “I believe in God.”

I received a letter from a woman who read about the way I had learned to live a life dependent on God. She was challenged as she read that Christ’s strength was manifested through my weakness, particularly when I started a Bible study while recovering from a nervous condition.

A Time magazine article asked why so many women in today’s society choose not to marry. Author Melissa Bank spelled out the answer in clear terms. She wrote, “Let’s face it. You don’t just want a man in your life. You only want a great man in your life.”

Why would a 10-year-old girl tie a note to a helium-filled balloon and send it on its way to heaven? According to columnist Bob Greene, a grieving Illinois girl named Sarah sent a letter to her grandfather, who had died before she could have one last visit with him. The envelope was addressed to “Grandpa Bernie, in heaven up high.” It represented a little girl’s expression of love, and her hope that somehow Grandpa would read it.

The other day I received a letter saying that I am still in the running to win the Reader’s Digest Sweepstakes. I imagine that all the millions of people who received this notice would like to be the winner. But winning all that money might not be good for some of us. Sudden wealth could hurt us spiritually.

Getting in shape can be dangerous. According to one report, the two most hazardous methods middle-age Americans use to stay in good condition are riding a bike and playing basketball. In one year, 201,000 people were hurt on their bikes and another 164,000 were sidelined with an injury they sustained on a basketball court.

In a book called The Second Shift, Arlie Hochschild describes how working couples share home responsibilities. Husbands and wives who both have careers generally agree that it is only fair for them to divide household chores. Yet studies show that men tend to do less than their share.

In a discussion about marriage, one person said, “The key to a good relationship is that ‘two shall become one.’” Another countered, “Yes, but which one?” Is it possible to be “one” without sacrificing our individuality?

An insurance agent repeatedly tried to convince a man to buy fire coverage for his home. “No,” the homeowner kept saying. “It’s well built, and I maintain it properly. My house will never catch fire.” But one day it did! Imagine the look on that insurance agent’s face when the homeowner foolishly ran to him to buy an insurance policy—as smoke filled the sky and flames gutted his home. It was way too late!