Letters From Grandpa #570

• LETTERS FROM GRANDPA
• 570

Dearest grandchild,

Today’s letter will be a page out of the past telling you about a lecture and book by a preacher named Russell H. Conwell. Sadly, he died in 1925. We wrote about him recently in a letter about six year old Hattie May Wiatt who selflessly raised 57 pennies to help build a bigger Sunday School.

The original inspiration for his famous lecture on “Acres of Diamonds” occurred in 1870 when Conwell was traveling in the Middle East. It was first given as a speech at a reunion of his comrades who fought together in the Civil War. Then he gave it on the Chautauqua circuit before he became a Baptist pastor in 1882. It was published as a book in 1890 and before he died in 1925 Conwell had delivered this lecture over 6,152 times. Conwell helped 1,674 men go to college with the money he earned from Acres of Diamonds. Here is a brief overview of this famous lecture and book.

• While going down the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers his Arab guide entertained him with a story about an ancient Persian named Ali Hafed who lived near the Indus River. He was a wealthy farmer with gardens, grain fields, orchards, and was content having everything he wanted.
• Then a Buddhist priest showed him a diamond and explained how rare and valuable they were.
• That night Ali Hafed was unhappy. He still had all of his wealth, but sadly he had no diamonds. Then he became so obsessed with having diamonds that he sold his farm, left his family in the care of a neighbor, and began a passionate search for diamonds.
• Years later, when his money was gone and he found no diamonds, he became so depressed that he committed suicide by drowning himself in the Bay at Barcelona in Spain.
• Incredibly, the man who purchased his farm discovered on that farm the famous Golconda Diamond Mine from which came the crown jewels of England and Russia.
• Then Conwell shared other stories revealing others who failed to appreciate what they already had. For example, he told of a young mining student at Yale who grew discontented because he was only making only $15 a week. He sold out in Massachusetts and went to work for the Superior Copper Mining Co. for $ 15 a week. The man who bought his homestead discovered a silver mine worth $100,000.
• Conwell pointed out of the 107 millionaires studied in 1889, 67 of them made their money in their home towns of less than 3,500 people.
• Then there was the man in Pennsylvania who had to position a plank over the stream on his farm so that his cattle would drink the water. The plank skimmed off an oily scum that the cattle didn’t like. The farmer foolishly sold the farm for $833. Ten years later the new owner discovered that the oil on the farm was worth far more than the cattle.
• Conwell said that his father ran a country store and sometimes left him in charge when he had to be away. On one occasion three different men came in asking for jack-knives, but their store didn’t have jack-knives. Conwell connected the dots and concluded that there was nothing ungodly about providing at a profit something that the public needed.
• When a critic warned him that “money is the root of all evil” Conwell politely corrected him. The Bible does not teach such a thing. The Bible does teach, however, that the “love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). There is nothing wrong with money and nobody gets a good paying job from someone who is poor.
• Money is a great servant, but a poor master. Paul counseled: “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.” (Ephesians 4:28)
• Paul himself practiced what he preached. He told the elders at Ephesus: “I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:33-35)
• Once while Conwell was speaking in New Britain, Connecticut, a woman went home from the meeting inspired to open her eyes to the possibilities in her own home. When she had trouble loosening her collar button she vowed to invent a better one. Ignoring laughter and ridicule she revolutionized the clothing industry and became wealthy by inventing the snap.
• Overcoming the negative stereotype that women are not inventors, Conwell pointed out that a woman named Jacquard invented the loom. Eli Whitney got the idea for the cotton gin from Mrs. General Green, and Elias Howe filed a patent for a sewing machine that was invented by his wife. Women also played key rolls in the invention of the printing press, McCormicks reaper, an essential trolley switch, and great iron squeezers used in producing steel.
• The late Dr. George Washington Carver believed that God guided him to become the “Father of Synthetics.” It is clear that every Christian is guided by the Spirit of God “Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14)
• Jesus told Matthew “follow me!” (Matthew 9:9) When Jesus healed a demon possessed man,. however, that man begged to follow Jesus, but Jesus told him instead: “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” (Mark 5:19) All members of the Body do not do the same thing!
• Jesus said to God: “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” (John 17:4) Jesus set a good example for everyone!
• WE ALSO CAN BRING GLORY TO GOD BY COMPLETING THE WORK GOD GIVES US TO DO!
• MAY THE MASTER SOMEDAY SAY TO YOU: “WELL DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT! YOU HAVE BEEN FAITHFUL WITH A FEW THINGS; I WILL PUT YOU IN CHARGE OF MANY THINGS.” (MATTHEW 25:23)

I love you,

Grandpa Boyce