Fired Twice

Fired Twice

Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

Hebrews 12:1

Thomas Edison, the great inventor of the lightbulb, the phonograph, and many other important scientific developments, had an unusual and interesting life. Today we celebrate the many inventions of Thomas Edison. In fact, we cannot imagine how we would get along without them. I am astounded when I think of how electric lighting and recorded sound have morphed into such a multitude of useful and entertaining products.

Mr. Edison failed many more times than he succeeded in his work, but the key to his ultimate great success was his perseverance and endurance in pursuing his dream and his personal goals. That eventually led to his establishing a permanent place for himself and his work in the annals of world history.

Edison once commented about his having been fired from two different jobs: “The first time was when I was a telegraph operator. It was my fault, all right, but I got so interested in the dinged machine and its workings that I began to see how I could improve it. But I forgot all about the messages that were coming over the wire, and I left a lot of messages unsent and undelivered. Of course, they discharged me, and I didn’t blame them.

“Then,” he laughed, “I got a job in an office, and there were a fearful lot of rats; terribly old office, you know. I came up with a thing that killed them like flies—the same with cockroaches. The floor used to be covered with dead roaches, and they fired me for that!”

He could not win! Ironically, it was inventions such as the two for which he was fired that make his name a household word today.

Father in heaven, we know that you are the Master of the universe and the greatest Inventor-Creator in all of history. Thank you for gifting people like Thomas Edison with special abilities to make our lives better. We are truly blessed. Amen.