| The Secrets of a Beautiful Life |
Chapter 15 |
Page 4 |
Recently a man, prospecting the mining regions of Arizona, found a remarkable natural bridge. It spans a deep canyon, forty-five feet in width. The bridge is made by a great agatized tree that lies across the gore. Scientific men say that many ages since this tree was prostrated by some terrific storm and fell across the canyon. By the effects of the water and of time it has passed through many stages of mineralization, and is now a wonderful tree of sold agate. And there it lies, making an agate bridge over which men may pass from side to side. This tree seemed to be a failure when, that day in its prime, it was broken off by the storm and hurled to the ground. But, instead of being a failure, to what nobler use could it have been put than thus to become a bridge of agate, to stand for ages, on which countless human feet may walk across the chasm?
This fallen tree is an illustration of countless human lives which have fallen and seem to fail, but which in time have proved to be bridges over which others can walk to honour, success, and triumph. We are all daily passing over bridges build of the toils, sacrifices, and failures of those who have gone before us. The luxury, ease, and comfort we now enjoy cost other men tears, pain, and loss. We cross continually to our blessings and privileges, our promised lands, our joys, on the bridges built for us by those who failed.
“And I say again, Count you the cost
Of this bridge? To what is it nailed?
What are its bulwarks piled high—these
You cross to the city of ease?
Man, I tell you ‘tis built on the failed—
The fighters who lost.
Dryshod reach your promised land now
On their failure—on those the world railed—
They the stuff of whom heroes are—
Who saw its light gleam from valleys far,
And fought for it—died for it—failed—
No failure, I vow.”
Christ Himself is the greatest example of this truth. His life was a failure as seen on the world-side. At three-and-thirty it was all over, the brightest light that ever shone on the earth quenched in the darkness of the cross. But now it is a bridge of agate, over which millions are passing from sin to holiness, from sorrow to joy, from death to life, from earth to heaven. Christ said, “I am the way… No man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” So His failure became the saving of the world. It built the bridge over the chasm between earth and heaven, on which all who are saved pass over. We live because He died.
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