When we realize that we are in a very dangerous situation, subjected to distressing circumstances, one of the chief dan gers, and one likely to be entirely overlooked, is that of our failing to rejoice. The chief thing for a Christian to do in time of trouble is to be cheerful. That is not easy to do, but it is not only pleasing to God, but is an effective way to let one’s light shine. It cannot but arouse those around us to the realization that we have something they do not have. If we show our satisfaction in every circumstance God allows, we may do more good unconsciously than we could accom plish by predetermined endeavor. Thousands have been helped by reading of the Cornish miner, Billy Bray, who rejoiced in the death chamber of his beloved wife. When the doctor said, “ Billy, she is gone,” Billy began shouting, “ Joey is with the angels! Joey is with the angels!” There was no word of his own loneliness. Joey was no longer in pain, but was with the Lord. This occupied his mind. Cars are now built so that passengers are protected from all kinds of bad weather. Just so the gospel has made pro vision so that when tribulations overtake us, our joy will not be disturbed. For tribulations will surely come; Jesus told us plainly, “ In the world ye shall have tribulation.” It’s pleasant to have an all-weather car; it is glorious to have an all-situations gospel. It is easy to be happy when one has many good friends, enjoys good health, and abounds in the good things of this life. But to paraphrase the old poem: The Christian “worth while is -the man who will smile, when everything goes dead wrong.” Without the Lord we could not experience this kind of contentment with our lot. When Moses was enjoying powers and privileges second only to Pharaoh’s, and sure that he was in line to sit on the throne, he was enabled by faith to refuse “to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,” and to spend forty years in isolation in the desert. That Joseph was able to be content when tested by adversity is shown by the fact that as slave to Potiphar, his master saw “ that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper.” His master made “him overseer over all his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.” When Joseph was wrongfully cast into prison, “ The keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison . . . The keeper of the prison looked not on any thing that was under his hand.” In the midst of adversity, perhaps equal to Paul’s, it is evident that Joseph was content. Not a single complaint of his is recorded. When his wicked brothers came, he was gracious to them. The Christ who enabled unjustly-punished Joseph, throne-renouncing Moses, Saul-hunted David, and chained and beaten Paul to have victory, will also enable each one of us to “ Rejoice in the Lord alwayi and again I say, Rejoice.” WORLD -W IDE M ISS IONARY By Dorothy C. Haskin A T 89, Bessie Lee Cowie is still an active world-wide mis sionary. “ Carrie Nation without a hatchet,” was the ' name the magazine Life gave Mrs. Cowie when they published pictures of her famous drive against liquor in Pasa dena, California. “ The W.C.T.U. Prayer Crusade Against Drink,” was organ ized by Mrs. Cowie. Each Wednesday afternoon a group of between 20 and 50 women met in a different church for prayer and then, with signs proclaiming their purpose, “ Wine Is a Mocker,” “ Save Our Girls,” “ Seeking to Save,” and such, they made their way all along Colorado Boulevard, going from bar
Inside liquor establishments they conducted themselves as Christian gentlewomen. Mrs. Cowie led the way, shook hands with the bartender, and pleaded, “ Do get into a better business than this.” Then they sang hymns, prayed and preached the gospel, pleading with the customers to accept Christ as Saviour. They were treated with the utmost respect and many of the women customers wept as they listened.
Mrs. Cowie at left with W. C. T. U. Prayer Crusade.
This is but one of Mrs. Cowie’s activities. She has been a member of the W.C.T.U. since 1885, and a world missionary since 1903. She has been around the world four times and held missions on every continent, and many of the islands of the sea. She has written fourteen books, countless tracts and in numerable poems. Her book, “Marriage, Heredity and the So cial Evil,” went through so many editions that she lost track of the number. When anyone mentions Mrs. Cowie’s being a temperance speaker, she always adds, “Along gospel lines.” And it is be cause of her great interest in Christ that she is still an active world-wide missionary. Through her help churches have been built in Korea. She has personally supported a native Chris tian minister in India for 30 years. She sells the natives’ hand work to her friends, and sends the money to build churches. Over 40 years ago Mrs. Cowie gave a house in Victoria, Aus tralia to the China Inland Mission. They sold the house and used the income to maintain a training school for Chinese Christians. Recently the school was destroyed and now the Mis sion is going to use the capital to rebuild the school. She also donated a house to the Sudan Interior Mission. The money obtained from its sale went into that work. When she lived in New Zealand and Honolulu, she held the prayer meeting for the Oriental Missionary Society in her home, and sold sub scriptions to their publications. Nowadays Mrs. Cowie devotes a large portion of her time to mailing packages to India, England and Europe. She sends old clothes, food, bacon grease, candles, everything, even making quilts of old stockings. She does this primarily with her own money, though sometimes when she speaks she is given a love offering and that too is used for such packages. One church gave her an offering of $14.00. One of the mem bers felt it should have been an even $15.00 but sne was voted down. The following Sunday, on her way to church, this mem ber found a dollar which she mailed to Mrs. Cowie, who told her that she had needed just an extra dollar for postage. As Mrs. Cowie says, “ The Lord is always doing nice things like that.” Much more suitable than the name Life gave her, is on some of the letters that she receives. On the customs tag, as those of you who have sent packages know, there is a place to write what-the post office should do with a package if it is unable to find the addressee. Mrs. Cowie always writes, “ GIVE TO ANY NEEDY CHRISTIAN.” So a woman, who cannot read Eng lish, but who writes to Mrs. Cowie in German, addresses the letters to “ FRAU ANY NEEDY.” Paae Eleven
to cocktail parlor. M A R C H , 1 9 5 0
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs