Topic(s): Christian Life

A Christian brother and I went to eat during a college lectureship. We were joking with the waitress, who seemed rather frustrated with the crowd. We inquired about her religion. She answered, “I quit attending church because I serve so many impatient Christians.” This hit me rather hard, so I observed the customers—they were rather rude and demanding. This taught us a great lesson.

Nine thousand Christians had assembled to fellowship; our giants were there to lecture; the lectures were powerful enough to save anybody; many new programs, missions, plans were announced. But this lady didn’t hear those sermons—she just saw 9,000 people whose religion had not made them courteous and kind. She saw 9,000 demanding, rude, loud, overbearing people! And if this is Christianity, she could not want nor buy it.

Perhaps this was her excuse! God will judge! But I am persuaded people are saved or lost on trivial courtesies or the opposite than by good or bad sermons. The best sermon on earth cannot touch a man who has lived next door ten years to a sweet, thoughtful, “visit the sick,” “care for the children” type of Christian. You see the lesson.

It is the “little things in life that count.” The smile, the thought, the patience, the name, the handshake. Trivialities can be tragedies—the frown, the hard statement, rudeness. Christians are thoughtful, courteous, and kind.

Christians, be careful! God is watching! Children are watching. Friends are watching! And total strangers watch!

“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful in much; and he that is unjust in the least is also unjust in much” —Luke 16:10

A Mother’s Journey

Topic(s): Mother

A young mother set her foot on the path of life. “Is the way long?” she asked. Her guide said: “Yes, and the way is hard. You will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning.”

But the young mother was happy and could not believe that anything could be better than these years. She played with her children, gathered flowers along the way, and bathed them in clear streams. The sun shone on them, and life was good. She said, “Nothing will ever be lovelier than this.”

Then night came, and storm, and the path was dark. Her children shook with fear and cold. She drew them close and covered them with her mantle. They said, “Oh, Mother, we are not afraid for you are near, and no harm can come.” She said, “This is better than the brightness of day, for I have taught my children courage.”

The morning came, and there was a hill ahead. The children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary, but at all times she said to the children, “A little patience, and we are there.” So the children climbed and when they reached the top, they said, “We could not have done it without you, Mother.” When she lay down that night, she looked up at the stars and said: “This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage. Today I have given them strength.”

The next day strange clouds came which darkened the earth—clouds of war and hate and evil and the children groped and stumbled and the mother said, “Look up. Lift your eyes to the Light.” The children looked and saw above them clouds of everlasting Glory and it guided them and brought them beyond the darkness. That night the mother said, “This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God.”

The days went on and the weeks and the months and the years and the mother grew old and she was little and bent. But her children were tall and strong and walked with courage. And when the way was hard, they helped their mother; and when the way was rough, they lifted her (for she was as light as a feather), and at last they came to a hill and beyond the hill they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide.

She said, “I have reached the end of my journey. Now I know that the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone and their children after them.” The children said, “You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates.”

They stood and watched her as she went on alone. As the gates closed after her, they said, “We cannot see her, but she is with us still. A mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a living presence.”

“Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands” —Proverbs 14:1