[Faith-talk] The Farmer

[Paul Smith]

Yes, as promised earlier, here is an article about a simple farmer and 
how his son changed the world for the better in that his discovery 
helped save thousands, if not millions, of lives.

His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer.  One day, 
while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help 
coming from a nearby bog.  He dropped his tools and ran to the bog.  
There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming 
and struggling to free himself.  Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what 
could have been a slow and terrifying death.

The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse 
surroundings.  An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced 
himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.  "I want to 
repay you," said the nobleman.  "You saved my son's life."

"No, I can't accept payment for what I did," the Scottish farmer 
replied, waving off the offer.

At that moment, the the farmer's own son came to the door of the family 
hovel.  "Is that your son?" the nobleman asked. "Yes," the farmer 
replied proudly.

"I'll make you a deal.  Let me take him and give him a good education.  
If the lad is anything like his father, he'll grow to a man you can be 
proud of."

And that he did.  In time, Farmer Fleming's son graduated from St. 
Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known 
throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer 
of penicillin.

Years afterward, the nobleman's son was stricken with pneumonia.  What 
saved him? Penicillin.

The nobleman's name? Randolph Churchill.  His son's name? Sir Winston Churchill

Someone once said:  "What goes around comes around." Work like you 
don't need the money.  Love like you've never been hurt.  Dance like 
nobody's watching.

And now, as the late Paul Harvey famously said over the radio so many 
times:  "And now, you know the rest of the story."

Don't know how many of you have heard or read the above, but I post it 
for your benefit and blessing, and you can be sure that it will be part 
of my radio show tomorrow morning between 9 and 10 over the facilities 
of the Radio Reading Network of Maryland
(http://www.radioreadingnetwork.org).
Please tune in at the above time, of course adjusting the time for your 
particular time zone.  This and other offerings will be read by the 
undersigned.

And that will do for today.  Until tomorrow when, Lord willing another 
timely piece of literature will be posted, may the God of Abraham, 
Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, in 
these last days in which we live.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul