The war
between brothers was, for all intents and purposes, over.
Lee, the skillful
and stalwart soldier of the south had done all he could, and he finally yielded
himself to the inevitable. That for the welfare of his men, and all that was
logical, it was time to surrender the cause to which he’d devoted himself the
past four long years.
Of course,
while millions in the south grieved the loss, millions more in the north
rejoiced in the victory.
A few days
after Lee surrendered his tired and hungry army to General Grant, President
Abraham Lincoln and his wife attended a play at Ford’s Theater in Washington.
Of course, the outcome of that night is, as they say,
… history.
For as the
play proceeded, a notable actor of that day crept into the presidential booth,
pulled a derringer from his coat pocket, and shot the beloved president in the
head.
Having
performed a preliminary examination, an attending doctor had old Abe moved to a
boarding house across the street from the theater.
Numerous
people came and went, as the president sank deeper into a coma, and as it
seemed there was no hope, the majority of Lincoln’s cabinet members and friends
left the room.
… Except one
man.
A young aide
sat in a chair next to the small bed; holding one of the president’s hands in
his.
Suddenly,
the attending doctor spoke,
“Young man.
Go home. You’re not doing any good here. The president’s wound is grave and He
cannot possibly survive very long.”
To which
Lincoln’s unnamed, unknown aide responded,
“No Sir. I
am compelled to stay. For if, by chance, he awakes, I want him to know he has a
friend in the dark.”
Life is
uncertain, and so often we face the most unexpected and even hellacious
circumstances. We have a Savior who lingers close and extends a loving hand to
us. And much like Lincoln’s young friend, He offers us the same kind of caring compassion
in what sometimes can be a very dark world.
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