AN AMAZING STORY... REVISION

My daughter recently asked what kind of pie I wanted for my birthday. I replied, "Yes." When it comes to pie, they're all great. Except for one. It's bitter to taste and hard to swallow. Humble pie. 

Last week's article featured the story of the Hebrides Revival in 1949-1952. Thousands of people came to Christ, sparked by the prayers of two sisters, Peggy and Christine Smith. The article also claimed that Donald Trump was named for their nephew (and his cousin) Donald Smith, and that Smith's Bible today sits in the Oval
Office. 

Evidently, my research fell short in fact-checking. The young man known as "Praying Donald" was not Donald
Smith, but Donald MacPhail. Trump was named after neither man. Also, the Bible he keeps in the Oval Office is not Smith's Bible, but one his mother gave him in 1955. 

However, the story contains several important truths. First, Trump's mother Mary Anne grew up on the Isle of Lewis, where this revival began. It appears that Peggy and Christine were her aunts, making them Donald Trump's great aunts. Also, our President retains his mother's Bible in the Oval Office. It was this Bible upon which he took the oath of office. 

The article’s purpose was to illustrate the power of prayer. This great revival was launched by the prayers
of two handicapped, octogenarian sisters. God worked through them to save thousands of people, even though they were unable to leave their home. 

That got me thinking. In our world today, it's increasingly difficult to discern truth. We are bombarded by a deluge of information, from network news, the press and social media. How can we sift through what's true and what's "fake news?" We can't trust the networks, Facebook or even our friends. In most cases it doesn't matter. But ultimately, we can know that "God's word is truth" (John 17:17). In John 14:6 Jesus declares, "I am... the truth." For truth that really matters, we can look to God's word and Jesus. He's the Rock we can build our lives upon. Anything else is sinking sand (Matthew 7:24-27).

Honestly, I don't need more information. Some days, I feel my brain's about to burst. But I do need more of
Jesus. I've suggested to Linda that we take an "information sabbath" and focus on the Lord. More information leads to more stress. More Jesus leads to more peace. Take your pick.