Giving To Others

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

Here is a well-known story from an unknown source that I wanted to share.

Text: 2 Corinthians 9:7.

Thomas Edison and Henry Ford

THE WORLD'S FIRST BILLIONAIRE

John D. Rockefeller (July 8, 1839–May 23, 1937), the founder of Standard Oil, was once the richest man in the world. He was the world’s first billionaire.

"He amassed a net worth of at least $1 billion in 1916. When Rockefeller died in 1937, his net worth was estimated to be approximately $340 billion in today's dollars."

By the age of 25, he had one of the largest oil refineries in the United States. He was 31 when he became the world's largest oil refiner. At 38, he controlled 90% of the oil refined in the United States. At fifty, John was America's richest man. As a young man, every action, attitude, and connection was crafted to establish his wealth.

But at the age of 53, he fell unwell. His entire body became wracked with pain, and he lost all his hair. In total anguish, the world's lone millionaire could buy anything he wanted but could only eat soup and crackers.

Ford Model-T

According to an associate, "He couldn't sleep, wouldn't smile, and nothing in life meant anything to him". His personal, highly trained physicians indicated that he would die within the year. That year passed painfully slowly. As he approached death, he awoke one morning with the faint understanding that he would not be able to bring any of his fortune with him to the next world.

The man who could dominate the commercial world suddenly realised he had no control over his personal life. He informed his solicitors, accountants, and management that he intended to devote his assets to hospitals, research, and charity work. John D. Rockefeller started his foundation.

The Rockefeller Foundation financed Howard Florey and his colleague Norman Heatley's penicillin research in 1941. But arguably the most astounding aspect of Rockefeller's narrative is that when he began to give back a fraction of all he had gained, his body's chemistry changed dramatically, and he recovered.

He was expected to die at the age of 53, but he survived to reach 98 years old. Rockefeller learnt gratitude and returned the great bulk of his money. This made him whole. It's one thing to be healed. It is another to become fit. He was a devout Baptist who attended the Euclid Avenue Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio.

John Rockefeller

Before he died, he wrote in his diary: "God taught me that everything belongs to Him, and I am merely a conduit to carry out His will. My life has been one long, happy holiday since then; full of work and play, I let go of my worries along the road, and God was wonderful to me every day.

William James Roop

Hospice Care and Dying

The Trucking Tango

Author Page

Brother Roop teaches the Bible

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Helping Others

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

Here is a story by an unknown author about the importance of helping others.

Text:  2 Corinthians 9:7.

Thomas Edison

In 1896, Thomas Edison, the great inventor of the electric bulb, was working on a car design when he learned that a young man in his company had created an experimental car. Edison met this young man, Henry Ford, at a company party in New York and was thoroughly impressed by his gasoline-powered car idea.

 Edison, who had been considering electricity as a power source, enthusiastically encouraged Ford, saying, "Young man, that's the thing! You have it! I think you are on to something! I encourage you to continue your pursuits!"

Encouraged by the respected inventor, Henry Ford continued his work, eventually inventing a car that made him wealthy.

On December 9, 1914, Edison's laboratory and factory were destroyed by fire. At 67 years old, the damage was too extensive for insurance to cover. Before the ashes were cold, Henry Ford handed Edison a check for $750,000 ($23 million today) with a note saying Edison could have more if needed.

In 1916, Ford relocated his home next to Edison's. When Edison was later confined to a wheelchair, Ford also got a wheelchair so they could race each other. Thomas Edison made Henry Ford believe in himself, creating a friendship for life.

Thomas Edison & Henry Ford

LESSON:

Don't ever be jealous of others' success. If you can't win a race, help the person in front of you break the record. Your candle doesn't lose its light by lighting another. Let us follow this example of supporting and uplifting each other!

William James Roop

Hospice Care and Dying

The Trucking Tango

Author Page

Brother Roop teaches the Bible