Hidden miracles
"I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds." - 2 corinthians 7:4
Charles Dickens' book A Christmas Carol is one of the best-loved stories of all time. But few know that it grew out of one of the darkest periods in the author's career and changed his life forever.
At age thirty-one, and the peak of his career, Dickens was facing serious financial trouble. News that his other novels were not selling well stunned the young man and resurfaced memories of his childhood poverty. He supported a large extended family, and his wife was expecting their fifth child. What would he do?
After months of depression, Dickens was walking through the black streets of London where "bawdy streetwalkers, pickpockets, footpads, and beggars" roamed. The scene reminded him of a recurring nightmare: a twelve-year-old boy working twelve hours a day, six days a week, to earn the six shillings that would keep him alive. Sitting in that dingy, rat-infested warehouse, the boy saw that the light outside was fading, along with his hopes. His father was in debtors' prison, and the boy felt hopeless, abandoned.
The dream was a true scene from Dickens' childhood. Fortunately, his father inherited some money, paid his debts and was released from prison.
Suddenly, Dickens knew he must write A Christmas Carol for those people he saw who could identify with his own fears. Strangely, with Scroode's change of heart in the novel, Dickens' own depression faded. The much loved book helped restore his confidence and paved the way to many more treasured stories.
Miracle often hide in the midst of self-doubt and confusion. Focusing on the joys of Christ renews our hope and restores our faith in what God can accomplish through us.
Reflect upon your present blessings of which every man has many; not on your past misfortunes of which all men have some.
Is there a dream I've been waiting to pursue? What is holding me back?
Charles Dickens' book A Christmas Carol is one of the best-loved stories of all time. But few know that it grew out of one of the darkest periods in the author's career and changed his life forever.
At age thirty-one, and the peak of his career, Dickens was facing serious financial trouble. News that his other novels were not selling well stunned the young man and resurfaced memories of his childhood poverty. He supported a large extended family, and his wife was expecting their fifth child. What would he do?
After months of depression, Dickens was walking through the black streets of London where "bawdy streetwalkers, pickpockets, footpads, and beggars" roamed. The scene reminded him of a recurring nightmare: a twelve-year-old boy working twelve hours a day, six days a week, to earn the six shillings that would keep him alive. Sitting in that dingy, rat-infested warehouse, the boy saw that the light outside was fading, along with his hopes. His father was in debtors' prison, and the boy felt hopeless, abandoned.
The dream was a true scene from Dickens' childhood. Fortunately, his father inherited some money, paid his debts and was released from prison.
Suddenly, Dickens knew he must write A Christmas Carol for those people he saw who could identify with his own fears. Strangely, with Scroode's change of heart in the novel, Dickens' own depression faded. The much loved book helped restore his confidence and paved the way to many more treasured stories.
Miracle often hide in the midst of self-doubt and confusion. Focusing on the joys of Christ renews our hope and restores our faith in what God can accomplish through us.
Reflect upon your present blessings of which every man has many; not on your past misfortunes of which all men have some.
Is there a dream I've been waiting to pursue? What is holding me back?