The earth has grown old with its burden of care, But at Christmas it always is young.
Phillips BrooksRead
It is good for us to think that no grace or blessing is truly ours till we are aware that God has blessed some one else with it through us.
Interpretation
True blessings are realized when we recognize the impact we have on others' lives.
This quote emphasizes the interconnectedness of humanity and the importance of acknowledging that our blessings and the good we receive are often linked to our contributions to the well-being of others. It suggests that grace is not simply a personal experience but is enriched when we understand how our actions can positively influence those around us.
In practice
In a speech about community service, one might use this quote to highlight the importance of helping others.
The earth has grown old with its burden of care, But at Christmas it always is young.
We never become truly spiritual by sitting down and wishing to become so. You must undertake something so great that you cannot accomplish it unaided.
The truest help we can render an afflicted man is not to take his burden from him, but to call out his best energy, that he may be able to bear the burden.
To believe in the God over us and around us and not in the God within us - that would be a powerless and fruitless faith.
To say, 'well done' to any bit of good work is to take hold of the powers which have made the effort and strengthen them beyond our knowledge.
Think of life as a voyage. The truest liver of the truest life is like a voyager who, as he sails, is not indifferent to all the beauty of the sea around him.
Oh, how swiftly the glory of the world passes away!
Let's be honest - tracking down, rounding up, and deporting millions of people isn't realistic. Anyone who suggests otherwise isn't being straight with you. It's also not who we are as Americans.
If we just sit and exist, and understand that, I think it will be helpful in a world that seems like a record that's going faster and faster, we're spinning off the edge of the universe.
Conscience and cowardice are really the same things, Basil. Conscience is the trade-name of the firm. That is all.
And would'st thou evil for his good repay?
If thou suffer injustice, console thyself; the true unhappiness is in doing it.
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