August, 1945
293
By Helen B. Young
Known and loved by hundreds at home and .abroad as "Mother Helen" and "The Lord’s Secretary," Mrs. Young in this article gives us a glimpse into her forthcoming book.
A DIAMOND,” states Webster, “ is native, crystallized carbon, highly valued, when transpar stone.” We mean to prove that it may be more than that! The ancient alchemists sought for the means of turning the base metals into gold. Here we reveal the secret of trans muting hard and brilliant precious stones into saved human souls! God has honored me throughout the years with the ministry of simply be ing a channel. He has entrusted to me the disbursement for Him of thou sands of dollars for missions. Occa sionally these gifts have taken other forms than that of checks and cash. I recount for the glory of God alone two such experiences: Following a very profitable Bible conference, I was invited by a new Christian friend to spend a few weeks with her in her home. To my aston ishment, I found myself in a magnifi cent residence in a most exclusive dis trict of an Eastern city. Here in these luxurious surroundings our hearts were linked in a lifelong and fruitful friendship. After showing me over the splendid estate, my friend quietly announced, “ I want to- give you this place, Mrs. Young, to use for a Bible school.” I was dumfounded. However, after I had recovered sufficiently, I explained that it would be impossible for us to leave our work in the Middle West. But my heart was deeply moved by this generous offer; it was a never- to-be-forgotten week. Upon my departure from this home, I foolishly left my kimono hanging in the room' I had occupied. It was but a ninety-eight-cent g a r m e n t , black, covered with sprawling laven der-colored figures. But since I need-- ed it, I returned for it the next day.
Jewels for His Crown The attractive daughter in the home, a bride of two weeks, met me at the door with the announcement that her mother had not yet come downstairs, and offered to take me to her room. When the door was opened to her knock, I found my friend weeping. “My dear, the Lord has sent you back to me!” she exclaimed. “I only came for my kimono,” I explained. Through her tears, she replied: “Oh, no, you did not come for your kimono! You came for my diamond ring! I heard you praying for the old women and little children of East Africa, who, when ill and about to die, are cast out into the bushes by superstitious relatives, so that at night the hyenas may drag them away over the hills. I know that the missionaries cannot sleep for heartache when they hear the cries of these suffering ones and the shrieks of the hyenas. I want to help the poor souls!” Then she placed a lovely diamond ring in my hand! The devoted daughter, her eyes fill ed with tears too, left the room. I felt sure that she expected to inherit that beautiful jewel of her mother’s. I could not close my hand upon the gift but stood gazing at it sparkling in my palm. Presently, however, she return ed with something in her hand. Throwing her arms about her mother, she exclaimed, “Mother, I don’t need this beautiful dinner ring you gave me for a wedding gift! You will not mind if I give it with yours?” There was a tearful smile of approval from her mother as she placed her handsome gift beside the mother’s diamond ring. On my way home, I stopped in Cleveland, Ohio, where I learned that the United States appraiser of dia monds had just arrived. Escorted by
friends, I went to his office, and show ed him the diamonds that had been given me. Looking me over very sharply, he asked abruptly: “Madam, how did you happen to come into possession of these valuable stones?” When he was finally assured that all was well, I had an opportunity to tell him of the needs of the dark continent and of the Saviour who was able to meet those needs, and his. A satisfactory sale was completed, and thus there came about a transmuta tion of diamonds into saved African souls! A Profitable Ride One summer at a Stony Brook Con ference, after God had poured His blessing out upon us in a way that there was scarcely room to receive it, another invitation came to me— this time to take a long automo bile ride. My hostess was a charming Southern lady who was spending the summer at the seaside. She and her two young daughters had been at tending the vesper meetings. As we drove along a beautiful bou levard, marked w i t h magnificent homes and grounds, this lady sudden ly turned her car into a secluded vine- covered spot In her soft Southern voice, she revealed to me a very hun gry heart: “ I want to tell you of my soul’s needs,” said she, “and to ask you to explain this wonderful life of Christian victory.” There followed a searching heart-to-heart conversa tion, a prayer of consecration, and one whose life had been saddened by many tears entered into a joyous new fellowship with Christ. Then this friend reached into tha glove compartment of her car and brought out a parcel. Opening it, she laid in my lap some superb diamonds. “The Lord has told me to give these to you to make Him known,” she modestly explained. I did not want
ent and free from flaws, as a precious
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