Article December 6, 1930 Issue

Love's Hand Guides

J. MAY FENWICK

How often one has seen a bee, a bird, or some other flying thing, fruitlessly trying to get through a pane of glass into the outer world! What desperate attempts are made, and how the pane is explored in the search for an exit! Probably close at hand is the outlet that is being looked for; and to one watching from a little distance this struggle for freedom, the situation may seem almost ridiculous. Then, what a joy it is to help the little struggling creature to find the freedom which is at hand for it.

This illustrates a predicament in which many of us find ourselves at times. We see the truth to a degree, but seem unable to put into practice what we have learned, or to achieve what we hope for. Some of us even go so far as to think it impossible to get away from our windowpane, and so we settle down in an artificial peace, as in the unnatural warmth of a hothouse. We may thus be deceived into thinking that we are in the clear sunshine, and so cease bestirring ourselves to find the way out. Perhaps we think that our present way of seeing things is leading us on and out. But no! A false sense of peace and health will never help us. Spiritual awakening, true rousing, however, is bound to come if we are in earnest.

As the little flying creature may become drowsy with the heat thrown back from the pane of glass, so we may grow apathetic if we mistakenly imagine that we are doing our best. It seems so easy to rest self-deceived! But at some time we are bound to escape from the wrong way of thinking by grasping something better. Perhaps a loving friend will come to us and quietly rebuke the error and point the way to freedom.

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