Isn't it odd how some quotations get into the public consciousness and we can never seem to pin them down?

 

Before Dave and I undertook to write the biography of Marty Mann, I was dragging my heels. I'm the primary writer, but I'd never tackled anything as overwhelming as a big book. It was that old bugaboo FEAR. Fear of failing, mostly. Dave had reassured me somewhat by promising to carry the research load, and I knew what a crackerjack he was. Still I wasn't convinced.

 

Then we heard a sermon by a friend. We have no recollection of the sermon's content, but one single sentence galvanized me: "God does not call the qualified; God qualifies the called." I got the message. My fears miraculously vanished, never to return. Two months later we were on the road with the first of several research roundtrips across the country.

 

We used the quotation from the sermon to introduce Part 2 of Marty's story because it so accurately described what happened to her. Dave made a routine phone call to the minister for permission to quote, and to inquire the source. Our friend had no idea where he'd heard it. So then Dave methodically began to search everywhere. Nothing. He did find variations of the quotation cropping up in all kinds of places, even gospel music, but no primary source. Finally, when major local libraries couldn't help, either, he was referred to a national research resource of librarians. Still nothing.

 

So that's where we had to leave the puzzle. Like the Spencer quote, ours was just out there in the ether. With our friend's permission, we used "his" quote. Someday someone may be able to enlighten us further. Maybe even one of you!!

 

Sally

 

Rev. Sally Brown                                      1470 Sand Hill Rd., 309
United Church of Christ                             Palo Alto, CA  94304
Board Certified Clinical Chaplain, Ret        Phone: (650) 325-5258
                                                                 FAX:     same