Storm Pilot

Whilst at Officers Councils a few days ago I bought the book 1929 by John Larsson. What a fascinating read. I have been in the Army all my life and although I had of course heard about how Bramwell Booth had been removed from office I had no idea of the intrigue or the drama involved.

One of the central figures during this whole episode of SA history is Edward Higgins, a person I knew nothing about, before I read this book and was known as the Storm- Pilot. He comes across in the book as a man of integrity and wisdom. On returning home I have fished out a book by him that I have never read called Stewards of God, which is a collection of papers specially compiled for the help and guidance of Corps Officers of the Salvation Army.

So I will include some gems of wisdom from the Storm Pilot over the next few blogs, which I think are good advice for all Christians, not just officers.

Higgins on Opportunity

"Our opportunities like time itself are forever on the wing and unless we are alert to the fact we shall become conscious of most of them only when they are gone forever. Therefore look out for them! Try to meet them! Strive for them!

All opportunities are not alike, nor are all equally productive. Yet all Salvation Army officers have many wonderful opportunities presented to them. The important thing is to cultivate that clearness of vision which will enable you to see them. What is seen by some officers as a great opporutnity appears as nothing to others whose perspective is wrong.

Somebody has said, "Failure is blindness to the strategic element in time; success depends upon readiness and instant action hwen the opportune moment arrives." James Watt was not the first man who had seen steam lift the lid of a kettle but he was the first to see the possibilities latent in the fact and to allow his mind to develop the idea until he evolved an engine which improved upon later by George Stephenson was the beginning of transportation by the power of steam. When we realise that we are stewards of every opportunity placed in our hands and for which we shall be held eternally responsible we shall look on this matter with more serious eyes."

More tomorrow

God bless

Carol