127:3.14 For four years their [[standard of living]] had steadily declined; year by year they felt the pinch of increasing [[poverty]]. By the close of this year they faced one of the most [[difficult]] [[experiences]] of all their uphill struggles. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James,_brother_of_Jesus James] had not yet begun to earn much, and the expenses of a [[funeral]] on top of everything else staggered them. But [[Jesus]] would only say to his [[anxious]] and [[grieving]] [[mother]]: " [[Mother-Mary]], sorrow will not help us; we are all doing our best, and [[mother]]'s smile, perchance, might even [[inspire]] us to do better. Day by day we are strengthened for these tasks by our [[hope]] of better days ahead. " His sturdy and [[practical]] [[optimism]] was truly [[contagious]]; all the [[children]] lived in an [[atmosphere]] of [[anticipation]] of better times and better things. And this hopeful [[courage]] contributed mightily to the [[development]] of strong and [[noble]] [[characters]], in spite of the depressiveness of their [[poverty]]. | 127:3.14 For four years their [[standard of living]] had steadily declined; year by year they felt the pinch of increasing [[poverty]]. By the close of this year they faced one of the most [[difficult]] [[experiences]] of all their uphill struggles. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James,_brother_of_Jesus James] had not yet begun to earn much, and the expenses of a [[funeral]] on top of everything else staggered them. But [[Jesus]] would only say to his [[anxious]] and [[grieving]] [[mother]]: " [[Mother-Mary]], sorrow will not help us; we are all doing our best, and [[mother]]'s smile, perchance, might even [[inspire]] us to do better. Day by day we are strengthened for these tasks by our [[hope]] of better days ahead. " His sturdy and [[practical]] [[optimism]] was truly [[contagious]]; all the [[children]] lived in an [[atmosphere]] of [[anticipation]] of better times and better things. And this hopeful [[courage]] contributed mightily to the [[development]] of strong and [[noble]] [[characters]], in spite of the depressiveness of their [[poverty]]. |