LIFE AFTER FAILURE

Have you experienced  failure in your life?   If you are alive and old enough to read this blog, then your answer is probably yes.  Failure is a part of each of our lives.  It’s the part of our lives that we don’t enjoy but it’s also a part of our lives that makes us stronger. 

Thomas Edison could tell you many stories about failure.  The only way to succeed is by falling down and then getting back up.  There were people in Thomas Edison’s life that believed he would never succeed.  His school teacher said there was something wrong with him and so his parents took him out of school.  The only schooling he had other than the first three months had been given to him by his parents.

Edison became well known after he perfected the light bulb that Humphrey Davy invented.  Later he flipped a switch that sent light into 85 homes in New York.  He also invented the phonograph, electric mixers, motion picture camera, and numerous other things.  At the age of 84 Thomas Edison passed away known as the greatest inventor of all times, with 1,093 inventions.

Edwin Howard Armstrong was much like Thomas Edison.  He had been removed from the public school and became withdrawn, at which time his interest in electrical and mechanic devices increased. 

Edwin built a tower in his back yard at a very young age.  At the age of 21 he entered the U.S. Army Signal Corps.  He set up wireless communications for the army during that time.  Edwin allowed the Army to use many of his patents. 

Edwin went on to invent numerous things that we use every day now.   In 1934 RCA hired Edwin to conduct the first large scale field test for FM radio.  This test was conducted by putting an antenna on the 85th floor of the Empire State Building.  There was people 85 miles away that could pick up the signal. In 1935 Edwin financed construction of the first FM radio station, W2XMN.  The signal could be heard for 100 miles.  The tower was located in Alpine New Jersey. 

RCA began to lobby against FM radio.  RCA chose to move forward with broadcasting television instead, and didn't want to be dominated by FM radio.  When this took place Edwin charged RCA and NBC with infringement.

The event with RCA and NBC began a legal battle for Edwin that lasted for twelve years.  Edwin was also involved in many other legal battles.  These battles took about ninety percent of his time, leaving him with little money, exhausted and frustrated.  On January 31, 1954 Edwin took his own life by jumping out the window of his thirteen story apartment.  

His wife began to fight the legal battles after the death of Edwin and was able to get patents on his inventions.

On September 11, 2001 when the planes struck the twin towers, all communications was lost.  America was under attack and looking for somewhere to turn.  Someone remembered about the tower that Edwin Armstrong built in 1935 and contacted authorities and told them about it, at which time the tower was turned on.

The one man that gave up on his life in defeat was the very man that set America back on it's feet on September 11, when all hope was just about gone.  

Never give up.  Even when you feel your life is worthless, you never know what God has in store for you.

JAMES 1:2-6

My brethren, count it all joy when

ye fall into divers temptations;
Knowing this, that the trying

of your faith worketh patience.
But let patience have her perfect work,

that ye may be perfect and entire,

wanting nothing.
If any of you lack wisdom,

let him ask of God,

that giveth to all men liberally,

and upbraideth not;

and it shall be given him.
But let him ask in faith,

nothing wavering.

For he that wavereth

 is like a wave of the sea driven

with the wind and tossed.