When she was only nineteen months of age,
Helen Keller suffered an illness that left her blind and deaf. Soon she was
unable to speak. By the age of seven she was extremely frustrated by her
inability to communicate. Fortunately, her parents were able to hire a
20-year-old teacher to come and live with them.
The teacher, Anne
Sullivan, was a very capable and loving individual and was able to put courage
into Helen by teaching her to communicate with the use of her fingers. Helen was
greatly encouraged, learned to read by Braille and then read everything she
could lay her hands on.
She desperately wanted to earn a university
degree and, passing the entrance exams to Radcliffe, pleaded with officials to
allow her to attend and bring Anne Sullivan with her to translate the lectures
into her manual code. The following is part of what she wrote to the admissions
office:
"I realize that the obstacles in the way of my receiving a
college education are very great—to others they may seem insurmountable; but,
dear Sir, a true soldier does not acknowledge defeat before the
battle."
Helen was admitted and graduated with high honors. She then
spent the rest of her life helping to improve the lot of and put courage into
other handicapped people at home and around the world.
Indeed, "A true
soldier does not acknowledge defeat before the battle!" A good word for
today.
Dear God
please give me
the courage
to face any and all
battles
that may come my way
knowing that you are with me
and will
never leave me or forsake me.
Thank you for hearing and answering my
prayerz
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