From Where We Are – Sunday, January 31, 1954
Scarcely does it seem possible, but a twelfth part of the year has already past. More suddenly and sooner than we suppose it will be spring. More suddenly and sooner than we suppose, it will be summer. And soon again the summer will have passed, and soon again we shall be looking at the closing of the calendar, and, soon again we, shall be asking ourselves: Where has it gone, and what have we done with it?
And with a twelfth part of the year past, it is not too soon to ask ourselves how we have done with our determination to be better than we have been, to do better than we have done, We are all imperfect. We all have problems. We all wish some things were different.
In this life it isn’t often (if at all) that anyone finds what could be called a flawlessly ideal situation. But if something hasn’t changed that should have changed, if something hasn’t happened that should have happened in the month of irreplaceable time through which we have so swiftly moved, it may be because we have somehow supposed that the new face of the calendar would do something of itself without our doing something of ourselves.
Time does much in its mellowing influence, in its blessed healing process, in its leavening and leveling—but for us time doesn’t do much but deteriorate unless we do some things for ourselves, unless earnestly we endeavor to improve our past performance.
Perfecting is a process—and neither character nor conditions are altogether made over all at once. The Lord God has given us the truths, the plans, the purposes, with life and intelligence and the material things of earth to work with (with people and with problems and saving principles).
And by beginning here, we can go on from where we are, and begin to come closer to where we would wish to be—always remembering that the only place we can start from is where we are—and there is no time sooner than now.
Blessedly, in the swiftly moving scenes of the swiftly moving months, there is nowhere we cannot begin to go from here—if we will—with repentance and work and the faith to begin to bring things about.
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January 31, 1954
Broadcast Number 1,276