Sermon Illustrations

Years ago new engineers in the Lamp Division of General Electric were assigned, as a joke, the impossible task of frosting light bulbs on the inside. None of the engineers took the assignment seriously since frosting a bulb on the inside was not a possibility by engineering standards. Eventually, however, an undaunted newcomer named Marvin Pipkin not only found a way to frost bulbs on the inside but developed an etching acid that gave minutely rounded pits instead of sharp depressions. This materially strengthened each bulb. The bulb was a tremendous success and revolutionized the light bulb industry. What seemed impossible on the surface, proved possible when Pipkin was able to see below the surface. Fortunately, no one had told him it couldn’t be done, so he did it. (Bits & Pieces, December, 1989, p. 20-21.)

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