Day 5. A Favorite Quote.

There are so many wonderful quotes out there. I love cute, sweet ones by Winnie the Pooh, I like patriotic quotes given by our founding fathers and former Presidents, I like inspirational quotes given by godly men and women who have walked the Christian walk before me, I like "quippy" quotes as well. 
The quote I am choosing, has been my favorite ever since I can remember. Actually, I think I was about 4 or 5 years old when I read it, and heard the story of the man who said it. 


"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep-to gain what he cannot loose."


Jim Elliot was a young man who gave up everything to follow God. He left his family to be a missionary in the jungles of Ecuador. His bride to be followed him out there and they were married. They had a baby girl. He and 4 other young men had heard about a tribe of people in the jungle who were head hunters, and anyone that every tried to enter their "part" of the jungle were killed. They felt like God was calling them to bring the gospel to these people, the Aucas (now called Wadoni). They followed God's call and paid the ultimate price with their lives. Several months later Jim's wife Elizabeth took their young daughter and went with another young women to the same village. The villagers had realized that these people were not going to hurt them, and were sorry that they had killed the men. For them it had always been "kill-or be killed". They became Christians, and today these same people are spreading God's word to other parts of the jungle to other people that were at the same place they were not too many years ago. 


This quote is very much like the Bible verse that says "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." 


When we give something that we cannot keep, our money, our security, and maybe even our lives...That all could be taken away from us in the blink of an eye...If we give it for something in exchange, in Jim's case it was the lives of that whole tribe of people and beyond- imagine the joy and prize that he has in heaven. Jesus did the same thing, he gave His life-so that anyone who believes in Him-will have salvation! 


Anyway, these are some of my ramblings...I hope you were encouraged, and that you gain something from this post. I would encourage you to to read a biography of Jim Elliot, he is one of my heros. They actually made a movie about the men who were killed. I have not seen it yet, it is called End of the Spear. 


Since it is Martin Luther King Jr. day...I'm going to throw in a quote from him. "If a man hasn't found something worth dying for, he isn't fit to live."


Have a great day!!!