Name/Title
letterEntry/Object ID
2021.2.564 A-KScope and Content
Letter sent to Miss Barbara Maxwell, Post marked St. Joseph MO Feb 8, 1953 "When Faith Falters" written on envelopeContext
Pg 1 February 8th, Sunday. The money is from Ma. Querida Hermana, I have kinda let you down this week , but as usual, I've been busy. Wed was choir, o'course, and afterwards we had coffee and cookies (delicious)! out at Mrs. Sutherland's. Maida made the cookies, and also divinity and a date bread. I ate and ate and ate. Everyone went, although our group wasn't quite as large as usual. Mr. Olert came, though Famie didn't. We had a gay time and stayed til 11! Virginia and I were the only ones of our crowd, she drove. Friday the Colluns went to Bethany- nice trip. It snowed Thursday and I was worried but it was all gone Friday and we had the game, though, 47-44.
Pg 2 Billy M didn't play at all; Shrout saved him for Saturday's game. But he played only part of the first quarter in it; his leg gave him quite a bit of trouble. i don't think he should have played the whole game the week before. Last night they played terrible. The whole 1st half they couldn't do a thing right, and Central couldn't do wrong. Central was about 25 points ahead. But the 2nd half our boys played much better. (Lehman, Crockett, and Kliher were in, along with Mason and Poteet) They couldn't make up that big deficit, though and Central won without ever really being in danger. We had them worried though. Five boys fowled out-Lehman, Poteet, Downer, Nidy and another Central bot. Daddy and I went
Pg 3 Church this am was crowded and John was his usual excellent self- Famie has a new hat- light felt to match her coat-very attractive. the choir got to shake hands with John and the newly received members after the service. john said he liked to he rarely gets the chance to shake hands with us! Sermon follow: "The title of our sermon today presumes much, for it is when faith falters not if or in the event that or supposing but when. Who among us has not doubted or wondered had misgivings about some phase of life? Every day we read or hear about an honest man who has become dishonest, a respectable man who has
Pg 4 become a murderer, a man in a high position who has violated his public trust. If our faith falters in relation to our fellow men does it not also falter in relation to God? How can we believe in a righteous God when the unrighteous prosper? Why do the good young die and the evil old grow fat and live? Why do the good suffer pain when the evil do not? our faith does falter that's a fact. And when it does, what then? Perhaps we can be helped by some of the grants of faith: Abraham, whose faith enabled him to prepare for sacrifice his own son, yet who was so afraid of Pharaoh
Pg 5 that he urged his wife Sarah to say she was his sisters o that Pharaoh would not kill Abraham and take her for his harem. Elijah who challenged the priests of Baal to a contest to prove who was a living god, Jehovah or Baal and yet who just hours later asked God to take his life because there were no believers left. Peter who dies a martyr's death yet denied his Lord three times. These giants of faith had their faltering moments yes but through them grew to greater faith. So it may be with us. Now why does our faith falter? First, because we become physically or ment-
Pg 6 ally or emotionally fatigues. Peter was tired, worn out physically and emotionally when he denied Christ. We become out of sorts with our family when we are tired, so also do we become out of sorts with God and our faith falters. When this happens, we must act our age realize our physical limitations and keep from getting tired. Second, the very nature of our faith makes it falter. We experience high spots of religious faith but we must live in the valley of everyday existence. No one lives on the mountain tops. It's like the old negro spiritual says sometimes i\I'm up, sometimes I'm down. We all have
Pg 7 our ups and downs and we must learn to recognize this cycle and when we are down we must remember how we felt and acted what we believed when we were up. Third, doubting is natural. in fact, if you have never doubted your faith it is very probable that you have not been serious enough about it. I agree, I agree. In reality, doubts are the stepping stones to a fuller faith. It is when we experience doubt that we come to a fuller realization of our faith. So, when faith falters remember doubting is natural it comes to the
Pg 8 giants of faith but through it comes a deeper fuller faith one which meets the tasks of everyday life with courage and conviction. Papa sent the clipping as his contribution. Were you surprised about Hal? I wasn't very. I think he liked it here people were so nice to them. how is your hair? I think the stuff really works> I used it again yesterday. My head didn't itch at all last week. well, sweetie, best I stop as I've used up about enough paper for one day. Hope you like all your classes. Don't study too hard this semester. Have Fun! Love Marilyn
Pg 9 February 11th, Wednesday Querida- Just a note to add to Mama's. I forgot some of John's sermon! You know how I am. Anyway, another of his points was that, when faith falters you should seek Christian fellowship. go to a church and even if you do not know the people there you will know that they are person who have suffered the same doubts the same sorrows as you are suffering and the have weathered the storm and come through it with faith a=received and strengthened. It is when we are lonely that our faith falters and we are lonely when our thought turn inward. Christian fellowship will help us to turn our thoughts outward and hence to live
Pg 10 more abundantly. There! now I think I have ho all the main points. Billy McK's leg is not so pretty good. Shrout says he won't stay off it but plays at the Y every Saturday. What a pistol! That way it'll never get well i's a knot in the muscle. And he's so good! What game did you want us to come down for? Was it the 21st? And what other games are there? I'm glad you like all your classes so well-hope it continues so. I looked up Dr Agee in the Savitar, I remember seeing him here in church before John came. But I close this. More later. Love, Marilyn
envelopeCollection
Marshall White
