[AkhirZaman.org] James Morrison, seorang ahli pertanian dari Skotlandia, menikahi seorang gadis Inggris, Hannah Nocholson, dan dikaruniai delapan orang anak. Yang termuda, Robert, lahir tahun 1782, adalah orang yang tekun bekerja. Pamannya yang kepala sekolah memandangnya sebagai siswa rata-rata dengan tekad yang sangat tinggi.
Ia masuk Kristen pada usia 15 tahun dan bergabung dengan masyarakat pendoa yang bertemu setiap hari senin malam di bengkel ayahnya. Robert menghabiskan akhir minggu untuk mempelajari Alkitab, menerapkan tekad bulatnya pada pertumbuhan kristiani. Ia melipatgandakan disiplin-disiplin akademiknya, memindahkan tempat tidurnya ke satu sudut di bengkel kerja ayahnya sehingga ia bisa belajar di tengah kesendirian hingga larut malam. Belakangan ia menulis, “Tempat yang paling membahagiakan (sejauh menyangkut rumah itu) adalah bengkel kerja ayah saya, di sapu bersih oleh tangan saya pada hari Sabtu malam, dan didedikasikan untuk doa dan renungan pada hari Minggu. Di sanalah tempat tidur saya, dan di sana juga tempat belajar saya.”
Tahun 1801 ia merasa bahwa ia hanya bisa bahagia jika masuk ke dalam pelayanan dan sebagai persiapannya, ia mulai belajar Latin. Saat ternyata bahwa ia memiliki bakat dalam bahasa, ia mulai pikir-pikir tentang pelayanan misionaris. Ibunya, saat mendengar niatnya itu, terkejut. Kesehatannya tidak baik, dan ia merasa ia tidak bisa berpisah dengan putranya itu. Robert setuju untuk mendampinginya selama ia masih hidup.
Ibunya meninggal tahun berikutnya, pada tanggal 24 November 1802 Robert mendaftarkan diri di sekolah tinggi para pengkhotbah di London. Dua tahun kemudian ia diminta bertugas oleh masyarakat Misionaris London. Protes ayahnya membuatnya patah hati, tetapi tidak semangatnya. Ia mengikuti pelatihan lebih lanjut, lalu naik kapal dan berlayar dari Inggris pada tanggal 28 Februari 1807, misionaris Protestan pertama ke Cina.
Tekad bulatnya sangat berguna baginya di Cina seperti juga di Inggris dahulu, karena ia tidak menyaksikan adanya terobosan selama tujuh tahun. Akhirnya, ia membaptis pemercaya yang pertama. Ia bertekun selama 18 tahun lagi, menghadapi kesukaran yang berat dan menyaksikan kurang dari selusin orang yang menjadi percaya kepada Kristus. Pada hari kematiannya hanya ada tiga orang Kristen pribumi di seluruh kekaisaran Cina.
Namun ia telah membukakan pintu, dan saat ini jutaan dari mereka.
Karena kita mempunya banyak saksi, bagaikan awan yang mengelilingi kita, marilah kita menanggalkan semua beban dan dosa yang begitu merintangi kita, dan berlomba dengan tekun dalam berlomba yang diwajibkan bagi kita. Marilah kita melakukannya dengan mata yang tertuju kepada Yesus, yang memimpin kita dalam iman, dan yang membawa iman kita itu kepada kesempurnaan (Ibrani 12:1-2a)
Worth recognising the specific care that went into how this post ended, and a look at streamnexushub maintained the same careful conclusions, endings are where most blog content falls apart and this site has clearly invested in the closing stretches of its pieces rather than letting them simply trail off when energy fades.
The use of plain language without dumbing down the topic was really well done, and a look at executeprogress continued in that same accessible style, this is something many technical writers fail at because they either confuse their readers or condescend to them but here neither problem appears at all which is impressive really.
Coming back tomorrow when I can give this a proper read, the post deserves better attention than I can give right now, and a look at strategyinplay suggests there is plenty more here that deserves the same treatment, definitely a site I will be exploring properly over the next few days when I can.
Felt like I was reading something written by someone who actually thinks about the topic rather than reciting it, and a look at radiantderma reinforced that impression, the difference between recited content and considered content is huge and this site clearly belongs to the latter category which I appreciate as a careful reader looking for substance.
A thoughtful read in a week that has been mostly noisy, and a look at ideaprogression carried that thoughtful quality across more pages, finding pockets of considered writing in a week of distractions is one of the small wins of careful curation and this site is providing those pockets at a sustainable rate.
Quiet confidence runs through the whole post, no need to shout to make the points stick, and a stop at growththroughdesign carried that same restrained voice forward, content that respects the reader by trusting its own substance rather than dressing it up in theatrical language is what I look for online and rarely actually find these days.
Recommend this to anyone who values clear thinking over flashy presentation, and a stop at progresswithoutpressure continued in the same understated way, this site has its priorities in the right place which makes it worth supporting through repeat visits and recommendations rather than just one passing read today before moving on quickly elsewhere.
Quietly enjoying that I have found a new site to follow for the topic, and a look at forwardthinkingactivated reinforced the small pleasure of the find, the discovery of new high quality sources is one of the more durable pleasures of careful internet reading and this site has been generating that discovery pleasure at multiple points already today.
Found the post genuinely useful for something I was working on this week, and a look at thinklessmovebetter added more material I will reference, content that connects to my actual life and work rather than just being interesting in the abstract is the kind I will pay attention to and return to repeatedly.
A piece that did not require external context to follow, and a look at buildforwardenergy maintained the same self contained quality, content that stands alone without forcing readers to chase prerequisites is more accessible and this site has clearly thought about how each piece can serve a fresh visitor rather than only existing members.
Genuine reaction is that I will probably think about this on and off for a few days, and a look at forwardtractioncreated added fuel to that, the best content lingers in your head after you close the tab rather than evaporating immediately and this site clearly knows how to write that kind of memorable content.
Took longer than expected to finish because I kept stopping to think, and a stop at progresswithsignal did the same to me, content that provokes thought rather than just delivering information is in a different category and the team here is clearly working at that higher level rather than just cranking out posts.
Picked up several practical tips that I plan to try out this week, and a look at actionturnsideas added a few more I will be testing alongside, content with practical hooks that connect to my actual life is the kind that earns my repeat attention rather than the merely interesting that I forget within a day.
Will be passing this along to a few people who would benefit from the perspective shared here, and a stop at forwardmotionengine only added to what I will be sharing, this kind of generous content deserves to circulate widely rather than getting buried in some search engine algorithm tweak that pushes it down the rankings.
If I had to defend the time I spend reading independent blogs this site would feature in the defence, and a look at trustcraft reinforced that defensive utility, the ongoing case for non algorithmic reading is one I make to myself periodically and sites like this one provide the actual evidence that supports the case clearly.