In my earlier years I was a self-confident young man. Although my mother was the daughter of a minister and sought to teach me to pray at her knee as a child, I grew up with the conviction that only weaklings prayed. One summer, while spending my vacation in the mountains, I had to revise this estimate.
While on a hike, I found myself in a dangerous predicament on a narrow ledge high on a cliff. Unable to retrace my steps, I was faced with a six-foot chasm in the ledge I had followed. To spring across this chasm to the sand-covered, sloping shelf beyond, with nothing to lay hold of, was too hazardous for me to attempt. My situation appeared utterly hopeless. My thought went out to my wife and five children, and in that state of sheer desperation I closed my eyes and prayed to God for the first time in my adult life. Instantly a great surge of strength came to me. All fear left me. I opened my eyes and again looked across the chasm. Then I saw a rock projecting up through the sand on the shelf on the other side. I knew that the rock would hold my footing; so I instantly sprang across and made my way safely to the top of the cliff and on to my destination.
A few days later a group of eight or ten of us were returning from a climb we had made together. A couple of young men in the party, reputably experienced mountaineers, chose a course that they said would be the quickest way. I was inclined to join them, when a young woman spoke up with confidence and said that that was not the way. She proceeded on another course. I was impressed by her attitude, and with one or two others I accompanied her. The two parties had not been separated for more than a few minutes when cries of distress came from the other party. They were in a very dangerous predicament. Everyone in the group, except this young woman, was deeply disturbed. With absolute confidence she proceeded to take complete command of the situation. Under her direction, we guided the other party to safety.
