I am currently reading Life and Letters of Stonewall Jackson by his wife Mary Anna Jackson. Until I began this book, I knew very little about Jackson, only that he was a Confederate general in the Civil War. My fiance Matt, who knows a lot about the Civil War, recommended this book to me, and so I have been picking it up here and there when I have some spare time. I am thoroughly enjoying it, especially the snippets of Jackson's letters to his wife. He was very tender and sweet in his letters, and always tried to point his wife to Christ. Here is a section of one I read recently. The General wrote this to Mrs. Jackson on May 7, 1859, while she was away for a time, recovering from an illness.
"You must not be discouraged at the slowness of recovery. Look up to Him who giveth liberally for faith to be resigned to His divine will, and trust Him for that measure of health which will most glorify Him and advance to the greatest extent of your own real happiness. We are sometimes suffered to be in a state of perplexity, that our faith may be tried and grow stronger. 'All things work together for good' to God's children. See if you cannot spend a short time after dark looking out of your window into space, and meditating upon heaven, with all its joys unspeakable and full of glory; and think of what the Saviour relinquished in glory when he came to earth, and of His sufferings for us; and seek to realize, with the apostle, that the afflictions of the present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Try to look up and be cheerful and not desponding. Trust our kind Heavenly Father, and by the eye of faith see that all things with you are right and for your best interest. The clouds come, pass over us, and are followed by bright sunshine; so, in God's moral dealings with us, He permits us to have trouble awhile. But let us, even in the most trying dispensations of His providence, be cheered by the brightness which is a little ahead. Try to live near to Jesus, and secure that peace which flows like a river. You have your husband's prayers, sympathy, and love...."
2 comments:
What an encouragement this must have been to his wife! It encouraged me!
Wonderful! I cannot imagine how encouraging a letter like this would be in a difficult time! Reading about great, godly men and women like this fills be with excitement and anticipation for heaven!
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