December 13

"I will give thee the treasures of darkness" (Isa.45:3)

In the famous lace shops of Brussels, there are certain rooms devoted¹ to the spinning of the finest and most delicate patterns. These rooms are altogether darkened, save for a light from one very small window, which falls directly upon the pattern. There is only one spinner in the room, and he sits where the narrow stream of light falls upon the threads of his weaving. "Thus," we are told by the guide, "do we secure our choicest products. Lace is always more delicately and beautifully woven when the worker himself is in the dark and only his pattern is in the light."

May it not be the same with us in our weaving? Sometimes it is very dark. We cannot understand what we are doing. We do not see the web we are weaving. We are not able to discover any beauty, any possible good in our experience. Yet if we are faithful and fail not and faint not, we shall some day know that the most exquisite² work of all our life was done in those days when it was so dark.

If you are in the deep shadows because of some strange, mysterious providence³, do not be afraid. Simply go on in faith and love, never doubting. God is watching, and He will bring good and beauty out of all your pain and tears. ━J. R. Miller⁴

The shuttles of His purpose move,

To carry out His own design;

Seek not too soon to disapprove⁵,

His work, nor yet assign,

Dark motives⁶, when, with silent tread,

You view some somber⁷ fold;

For lo, within each darker thread,

There twines⁸ a thread of gold.

Spin cheerfully,

Not tearfully,

He knows the way you plod⁹;

Spin carefully,

Spin prayerfully,

But leave the thread with God.

━Canadian Home Journal

十二月十三日

「我要将暗中的宝物……赐给你。」 （赛四十五:3）

在比京勃鲁赛尔有几家著名的花边店，他们有几间特别的房间，专门为纺织最精致，最优美的花边用的。这些房间是全黑的，只从一扇极小的窗外射进一线日光来，这一线日光恰正照在花样上面。引导我们参观的那位告诉我们说：「最上等的出产就是这样得到的。最优美的花边，都是工人坐在黑暗中织成的」。

我们不也这样么？有时，环境非常黑暗。我们自己也不能明白我们到底在做甚么。我们看不见我们自己所织的东西。我们看不见一点美丽、一点好处。但是如果我们忠忠心心去做，不沮丧、不失望，有一天我们就要看见我们生命中最精美的工作，乃是在黑暗中做成的。

亲爱的，如果你正在黑暗中，不要惧怕。只要凭信心和爱心前进，切勿怀疑。神必从你一切痛苦和眼泪中找出良善和美丽来。━密勒

照祂的旨意投梭,

织出祂拟定图案;

不要急躁,不要对工作非难,

看到了阴暗的色泽,

也不要灰心悲观,

因为在每朿深黑的线里;

都夹杂着金线的灿烂。

带着笑脸去织,不必流泪,

祂知道你的辛苦和忧患;

以祈祷的心,谨慎工作,

用甚么线,让神来置配。

━加拿大家庭日志

1 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

2 exquisite   

adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的

参考例句：

• I was admiring the exquisite workmanship in the mosaic.我当时正在欣赏镶嵌画的精致做工。
• I still remember the exquisite pleasure I experienced in Bali.我依然记得在巴厘岛所经历的那种剧烈的快感。

3 providence   

n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝

参考例句：

• It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。
• To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。

4 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

5 disapprove   

v.不赞成，不同意，不批准

参考例句：

• I quite disapprove of his behaviour.我很不赞同他的行为。
• She wants to train for the theatre but her parents disapprove.她想训练自己做戏剧演员，但她的父母不赞成。

6 motives   

n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机
• His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

7 somber   

adj.昏暗的，阴天的，阴森的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• He had a somber expression on his face.他面容忧郁。
• His coat was a somber brown.他的衣服是暗棕色的。

8 twines   

n.盘绕( twine的名词复数 )；麻线；捻；缠绕在一起的东西

参考例句：

• The vine twines round the tree. 这藤盘绕在树干上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A stream twines across the valley. 一条小溪蜿蜒流过山谷。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 plod   

v.沉重缓慢地走，孜孜地工作

参考例句：

• He was destined to plod the path of toil.他注定要在艰辛的道路上跋涉。
• I could recognize his plod anywhere.我能在任何地方辨认出他的沉重脚步声。