55 - A Precious Service to God

“SINCE THE FIRST letter, in which your husband spoke of your not being well, I gather it is not only that you are not well, but also that you are getting a blessing of hope— the next great event of your young married lives…. Please believe me, my mother interest is large enough, I think, to have some of the interest and earnestness that your own mother’s heart must have.”’ⁿ Note: Throughout this selection names are omitted and the family relationship substituted—husband, baby, etc. As the years passed and the Faith Home young people married and started their own homes, Mrs. Robinson followed their joys and sorrows with the genuine interest of a true mother. Usually she was one of the first persons in whom they confided regarding their courtship and engagement. They claimed her faith and love and blessing over their actual wedding. Then as they looked forward to the arrival of their children, “Mother” Robinson was among the first to be informed. Mrs. R. deeply appreciated the confidences which these young people told her and united with them in faith for God’s highest will to be done in their several cir­cumstances. So it was again when one of the young min­isters wrote Mrs. R., and she learned of their expectation. “Now, if it is not too much, may I ask you.., to write out of your heart how God is keeping you,” she wrote in reply, “and what is being done in your soul, and your husband’s, to help you both in the larger equipment that this will need in your life?” “So often it is the woman who is supposed to need the equipment—preparation—etc. Well, so she certainly does, and of course she bears the greater load, but if the husband has the light,—I am sure yours has,—he, too, will see his need of equipment and preparation. I know that all around our work Christ puts the interest in hearts for both in a time lik this..... “Before closing, though, I feel like saying something that the Lord has said to me two or three times. You see, dear, the Lord wants us to be glad, and not sad, over the wonderful thing that is going to take place. Try to make the newcomer so welcome that you will not mind the burdens and cares that inevitably lay upon you and your husband. “Now I am not implying by that that you are not making the little one welcome. No, I am sure your own hearts rejoice in God’s goodness to you. Yet there are times that young souls fail to see what a wonderful thing God may bring about in their lives if they know it’s a gift from God, and their part again, a gift to God to be used for God. I suppose the little one was given to God by both of your hearts as soon as you knew there was to be such a life. “Now I have not been writing by the Lord’s words, but these are thoughts of His heart, as the young people bring their little ones into the world. Oh, we ought to have some precious souls of the children of our young people, and the care of the young lives be to both mother and father a precious service to God, so that if it is sometimes hard, as all bearing and caring for children must be, it will seem as precious to do for Christ as other cares in the vineyard server’s life…..” Mrs. R.’s interest continued all through the months which followed, and then, when the day of delivery approached and the mother was a bit apprehensive and called for special prayer, Mrs. R. again wrote, telling how she had arranged for a group of women in the Homes to get together to pray for her. Then she goes on to counsel her that she get her husband, “and both of you go down before God in a good period of prayer and accept the answer, and be sure, dear child, to know you mean that it will really be done. “God will hear, and, of course, will know what is needed. My dear, no matter who prays for you, the real needed prayer is that in your own heart, and your husband’s, will be rest and confidence in God. God wants you to have an easier time, and a better time, because you trust Him. Con­vince your hearts that Jesus loves you, and then let Him just take you in His arms. You are His, and He is more desirous than you to see victory.” Sometime after the baby was born, he developed a bad case of eczema. The parents in their extremity called on their dear friend for prayer, suggesting a time when they could unite together with her and those praying in Zion. “I wanted to run right away and attend to this matter about the baby Saturday,” replied Mrs. R., “and instead of that I was just made to take this matter up today, Monday— not touching it till now. You see it has come at an extra­ordinary time.” Mrs. R. then proceeded to tell her of other urgent needs that she and her co-workers had had to pray about so that they could not take up the request for the baby at once. “We, ourselves, have little ways of our own in our united prayers taught us by wisdom. It is usually more difficult to have the one writing for prayer to set the time we are to pray. That is, unless the case is instant, pressing, and must be prayed at once. For instance, the Lord tells us whether it is better to go into a meeting, or be taken up by a few, or have it a kind of picked prayer, etc., as we prayed for you. Also, we cannot always do it at the time most con­venient for others, because sometimes something else comes ahead. At all times all the pray-ers have to have their own duties considered too. And this time it happened we could not put in the prayer Sunday morning. “I suppose you may have had the victory for the baby by your prayers and others, and that you believe he is delivered. But we are going to go ahead with the prayer, anyway, of course. There will be a good prayer, and we will not do any harm if we pray more than was expect. “We are pressed on every hand at this time, but don’t think we will be indifferent about our boy. What we will do is let God show us whether the Lord wants us to take it up one way or another. We do not know the cause of the trouble. Let us have faith, whatever it is, God will deliver. We will pray that God will do His own will, and He will give us just what He sees is needed. Please do not believe that anything is handled as readily as our hearts prompt, but believe it is as readily and thoroughly as possible. “We do not know just when it will be possible to get in a prayer for the baby. ... The pray-ers have to get their work in between, and there are visitors to entertain more than usual at this time, and to cook for. So altogether we are really pressed, and so cannot have the prayer . . . till we can arrange a time. . “We have never had any experience like this before. We really are placed in a peculiar way in the Homes at this time. But there is not time to go into detail about it now. Yet perhaps this information may show you just how it is. “In writing this the Lord gave me a suggestion. He said it would be good to give to you about prayer for the baby. If you have need to have prayer for him again, or for your­selves, and you are led to put in a request for prayer, it is really better not to put it among too many. It is better if the people who are interested in him, and know you both, will pray; that is, those close to you, that it may be from the hearts.” God heard and answered prayer so that the boy was com­pletely delivered. Shortly after the boy’s first birthday, the parents, in his behalf, sent Mrs. R. an offering from money which had been given him, accompanying it with a few words which his guided hand wrote. In reply “Grandma” Robinson answered: “My dear sweet—: What a wonderful thing that I should have a letter from you: to think you should have thought of me, and written to me. Believe me, I will keep it, and make it my special treasure,... “I hope, my dear little boy, as you go on and get older, you will continue to be just as glad to give Jesus your precious offerings, and may it be not only money but your own, precious, little self. “Will you work for your dear Lord? I am sure He is getting you ready, whether it be to preach or whatever it is. O may God bless your dear Papa and Mama, so even your little boyhood may be full of blessing of loving your dear Jesus and doing things He would like to have you do. Don’t let your little childhood be without our dear Jesus. “Why, I must be your Grandma, for your Papa and Mama have taken me as Mother. Isn’t that lovely of them? Well, I’ll sign my name, I think, with as much love as from an own Grandma.” “Grandma’s” prayers have been answered.