Ernest Gordon recounts an experience from his years as prisoner of the
Japanese during World War II. In the Changi Prison for civilian internees
at Singapore there was a man whose friend was sentenced to solitary
confinement. He asked himself, "What can you do to help him?" The obvious
answer was "Nothing." His friend was locked in a tiny cell in a section of
the prison which was so heavily guarded that none could get in.
One day the Methodist Bishop of Singapore saw him trying to cut another
prisoner's hair. "Hello, John. I never knew you could cut hair." "I can't.
It's something I've never done. I'm just learning." "Why?"
"My friend is in solitary. He is allowed to have his hair cut once a month.
So I thought I'd apply for the job."
Some time later the Bishop heard that John had been appointed as the barber
of those in solitary. He asked him how things were working out now that he
could see John once a month.
"Oh, I'd say fair." "You can't bring him anything, I know that. But can
you speak to him?" "No." "Well, what can you do?"
"This is what I do. While I'm snipping away at his hair, I keep saying to
him, 'Please keep your chin up, keep your chin up.' The guards think this
has something to do with the barbering trade, so I'm allowed to say it-and
I do, over and over."
Every church needs encouragers. There may be times when we can't say much
more than "keep your chin up," but we could say that. Will you pledge today
to become an encourager? We can never tell when someone is contemplating
quitting or giving up when only an encouraging word is needed to motivate
him to press on to victory.
-- By Wilbur Irwin, from the newsletter of the Forest Hill Baptist
Church, Jackson, Mississippi, February 16, 1983.
Source: The Timothy Report, Copyright (c) 2003 Swan Lake
Communications, http://www.swanlake.twoffice.com
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