History tells us that after the Civil War was over, the College of William and Mary in Virginia had been closed for almost seven years. The war had ravaged the area, including the College of William and Mary.
The damage was so bad that rain came through holes in the roofs of the empty buildings. The faculty was long gone and no students were present. The economy was also ruined.
The president of the college was Benjamin Stoddard Well. He did something that is amazing. For seven years, every single morning, without any students or faculty or buildings, and receiving no salary, President Ewell rang the school bell. For seven years!
Benjamin Well simply refused to give up on his dream that one day the College of William and Mary would be restored, just like the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Even though all the odds were against him, he never gave up. He never lost his faith. And like the Commonwealth of Virginia, Ewell’s college was finally restored.
The Apostle Paul said, “This is the reason we do not give up. Our human body is wearing out. But our spirits are getting stronger every day.” II Corinthians 4:16 (NLV)
Some people today quit at the first hint of difficulty and opposition. Let’s not be in that group!
May God help us to follow the example of Jesus Christ. He never threw in the towel and called it quits. He kept going, all the way to the cross, and the empty tomb. Like Benjamin Well, let’s get up every day and ring the bell.