""Fear not, my child; whatever ill may come I"ll not forsake thee till I bring thee home.""
THE CAT CAME BACK
Jimmy was lying on an old cot out in the orchard, getting some of the nice spring sunshine on his thin body. There was an anxious frown on his face now, and every little while he would turn on his side, look through the orchard, and call "Kittv kitty! kitty! Annette, Come, Ann-ette."
But Annette did not come. His mother came and reminded him that Annette was very old indeed, and it might be that she would never come again.
"She was here yesterday, Mother," he answered her, and the big tears came to his eyes "She felt perfectly fine then."
"I know, but she"s an old cat. She never strays away of her own accord, and certainlv no one would steal an old blind cat."
Later on during the day a man came walking up to their house. He introduced himself as the new neighbor who just moved across the little creek. He made inquiries as to where he could buy fresh vegetables and milk. And just as he was about to leave he remarked, "I did a strange thing early this morning. There was an old cat came over to my place. One ear was almost gone and it was blind. I"m not much of a hand to make way with things, but I felt so sorry for that poor old animal that I killed it."
"Oh!" With a strangled sob Jimmy quickly left the room.
His mother explained to the man it had been their old pet. He was very sorry, but of course that did not bring the cat back.
"When I saw it, I just banged it over the head with a stick and then buried it. You will never know how badly I feel about it."
When he was gone, mother went out to find Jimmy and comfort him. He was out in the orchard on his knees. Quietly she went up and knelt beside him, slipping her arm about his shoulder.
He turned to her at once. "Mother, there"s something funny about Annette.
I"ve been praying and I feel all happy inside. It"s just as if she wasn"t dead at all!"
"What would we ever do without our Comforter, son?" she said. "He does help us bear our burdens in a wonderful way."
"I"ll say he does. This morning I felt so bad I didn"t know what to do, and then when that man said--he had killed Annette--I thought I just could not stand it. And here I am happy as anything again. And just because I took it all to Jesus. I think Annette is all right now."
"She was very old, son. It wouldn"t have been much longer anyway.
Why--why--Jimmy!"
But Jimmy was running swiftly across the field toward an old blind cat that was staggering in his direction.
Apparently the new neighbor had only stunned the cat and she had dug her way out of the shallow hole and come home again.
It was years before she really died, and long before she presented Jimmy with a very tiny kitten with two whole ears and two very bright eyes.
This story may sound strange to you, so perhaps I had better add that it is really true.
--Mary M. Naylor.
HOW G.o.d ANSWERED DONALD"S PRAYER
G.o.d often uses children to win grown folks for Christ. Little children not only have a deep faith but a childlike trust in believing that G.o.d answers their prayers. "All that ye ask in my name, _believing, that ye shall receive_."
As a young girl, I went to Sunday School and learned about Jesus. Although I knew about my Savior and what He had done to save me, yet I never accepted Him as _my own Redeemer_ and Friend.
As years went by, I went into sin and shared in the common sins of worldly people. I knew better than to do the things I did, but sin is a miry clay pulling its victims down deeper and deeper. For ten years I never entered a church house except to attend my father"s funeral. I saw him go into eternity without being able to point him to the "Lamb of G.o.d which taketh away the sin of the world."
During these years I had married and G.o.d had given us a dear little boy.
Donald began to attend Sunday School early in years. Often on Sunday mornings he would get ready for Sunday School after a sleepless night.
Wild parties were a part of the unG.o.dly life we lived in our home.
Sometimes I took him to the church house door and there he would beg me to come in and meet the Christian people who, he said, would be so glad to see me.
Donald learned much of the Scriptures. He would pray and ask G.o.d"s blessings at the table. In Aug. 1932 we were living in Minneapolis. One evening in particular I shall not forget. I was in an apartment below the one in which we lived, partaking in a drunken party. Donald was then 12 years old. He suffered over my sins and came to the door to call me.
I promised him to come up soon, but I continued on for some hours with the drunken crowd. When I did come up to our apartment I found Donald on his knees by his bed with his Testament and an old hymn book of my mother-in-law"s. The books were open on the bed. He looked up through his tears and said, "Mother, I am praying for you." I looked at the Testament and hymnal which were wet with tears that he had shed for his unG.o.dly mother. On September 15th, following this experience I went to a mission. That night a group of Christians united in asking G.o.d for my soul. When the song, "Lord, I"m coming home," was sung after the service I made my way to the altar. While kneeling there I felt someone very close to my side. It was Donald who was praying for his mother. G.o.d heard my prayer to be saved. He was merciful and washed away my sins. Psalm 51 has become precious to me.
G.o.d saved me for service. I marvel at his grace and mercy toward me. I cannot cease to thank Him for picking me up out of the miry clay. I am thankful also for my little boy who never ceased to pray for his mother.
Now, my life is in G.o.d"s hands. I want to help others find the Savior.
I am especially burdened for others in the bondage of sin as I was. But even more than that, I am burdened for children who have no opportunity of knowing Jesus as their personal Savior.