d ry b u lb w o u ld send u p n ew green shoots and th en th e lo v e ly w h ite b lo om s, and she h a d e x p la in e d h ow th e lily to ld th e story o f resu rrection . She said th at o u r e a rth ly b od ies w ere la id a w a y in th e g ro u n d an d w e seem to be a ll d ea d , lik e the lily b u lb . B ut som e d a y , w h e n Jesus com es, w e w h o b e lie v e in H im , w ill h a ve a g lo rio u s n ew b o d y , lik e the o n e that th e L ord Jesus h ad after H e arose from th e d ea d , fo r the b od y th at dies and is b u rie d is ju st o u r h ouse or co v e rin g . O u r n ew b o d y w i l l be as m u ch m o re g lo rio u s th an the o n e w e h a ve n o w as the Easter lily b loom s are m ore b e a u tifu l th an the d ry b u lb . H a ro ld h ad w a tch e d his lily g row — th e green stalk, and th en the leaves. A t last th e bu ds b eg a n to sh ow , five o f th em , an d th ree w ere n o w w id e op en , fillin g the a ir w ith sw eet fr a g ra n ce , an d g lo w in g w ith sn ow y b ea u ty . C o u ld h e g iv e it a w a y ? S u d d e n ly h e said, “ M o th e r, I w a n t PRAISE ACROSTIC P-raise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely. Psa. 147:1 R-ejoice evermore. I Thess. 5:16 A-ll thy works shall praise thee, O Lord and thy saints shall bless thee. Psa. 145:10 l-t is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High. Psa. 92:1 S-erve the Lord with gladness: Come before his presence with singing. Psa. 100:2 E-nter into his gates with thanksgiv ing, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and bless his name. Psa. 100:4 to g iv e m y lily to M rs. R a y. I th ink it w o u ld h e lp h er to fe e l Easter in h er h eart, d o n ’t y o u ? ” W it h a sm ile, his m o th e r an sw ered, ‘Y es, dea r, I th in k it w o u ld be fin e fro y o u to d o th at.” H a ro ld took h is lily in h is w a g o n ov e r to M rs. R ay. She e x cla im e d w ith d e lig h t at the b e a u tifu l p la n t, and th ey took it ' in to th e house an d set it o n a ta b le in th e liv in g room . H a r o ld to ld h e r h o w th e lily sh ow ed us th e story o f resu rrection , as his m o th e r h a d e x p la in e d it to h im . T h e n she took h is little h a n d and said, “ H a ro ld , I w a n t to te ll y o u som eth in g w o n d e rfu l. Y o u ’re th e v e ry first o n e besides m y h u sb a n d to k n ow a b ou t it. M r. R a y a n d I h a ve b o th a ccep ted th e L o rd Jesus C h rist as ou r S a viou r, a n d tom o rrow w h e n w e go to ch u rch , w e w a n t to con fess H im th ere, w ith G o d ’s p eop le. It w ill be a tru e E aster D a y fo r us— n o m ore sadness or c r y in g— a rea l resu rrection d a y .”
g o t sick an d d ie d , an d h a d to b e pu t in th e g ro u n d .” S h e b e g a n to c r y a g a in , an d H a r o ld , n o t k n o w in g h o w to say a n y m ore, h u rrie d on to sch ool. M rs. R a y stopped c r y in g after a little , an d w e n t in to h er lo v e ly , lo n e ly h ouse, an d b e g a n d o in g the m o rn in g w ork . T h e w ord s o f the little b o y k ep t r in g in g in h er ears. I f she co u ld o n ly b e lie v e w h a t h e said! She h a d g o n e to S u n d a y -sch ool w h e n she w as a g irl, an d she h ad rea d an d h ea rd th e story o f Jesus an d H is d ea th o n th e cross to save sinners, bu t a ll th is h a d n o t in ter ested h er m u ch , th o u g h she supposed she b e lie v e d it. She n e v e r h a d fe lt a n y n eed o f a S a viou r, b u t n o w she k n ew she n e e d e d v e ry m u ch to h a ve som e O n e to h e lp her. A ll d a y she th o u g h t a b ou t these th in gs, an d w h e n h e r h u sb a n d cam e h om e , she asked h im w h a t h e k n ew a b ou t p e o p le w h o w e n t to h eaven. H e k n ew e v en less th an she d id , fo r h e n e v e r h a d g on e to S u n d a y -sch o o l at a ll, n o r rea d the B ib le. H e th ou g h t if y o u d id th e best y o u co u ld , w ere THE HEART GARDEN My heart may be like a garden fair, Loving words and thoughts a-blossom- ing there; Or it may be a plow of poison weeds, Growing into ugly thoughts and words and deeds. Lord Jesus, make my heart a garden fair. Come Thou Thyself and be the gard'ner there. — Helen H. Lemmel h on est and g o o d , som e h ow y o u ’d get to h ea v en w h e n y o u d ied , b u t h e w a sn ’t v e ry sure a b ou t it. T h is w as n o com fo rt at a ll to h is w ife . T h e n e x t m o rn in g , Janet R a y de cid e d to ask th e little b o y som e qu es tions if h e cam e b y a g a in , so she w as ou t on th e step, b u t th is tim e she w as n o t cry in g . She a lm ost sm iled- as she said, “ G o o d m o rn in g .” T h e n she asked H a ro ld h o w h e k n ew his b a b y sister w as in h eaven . H e told h er it w as in G o d ’s W o r d , the B ib le. A b rig h t th ou g h t cam e to th e little fe llow . “ H a v e n ’t y o u g o t a B ib le ?” h e asked. “ N o, I ’m ash am ed to say I h a v en ’ t,” M rs. R a y rep lied . “ I ’ll b rin g y o u o n e rig h t a fter sch o o l, an d M o th e r w ill sh ow m e w h e re th e verses are a b ou t h ea v en , an d v o u ca n read th em fo r y o u r ow n se lf.” H a ro ld ran h om e from sch o o l as fa st as h is legs w o u ld g o , w ith the w o n d e rfu l n ew s that th e c r y in g la d y w a s n o t c r y in g th at m o rn in g , and she h a d n o B ib le, b u t h e h a d to ld h er
h e ’d b rin g h er on e, and w h e re w ere th e verses a b ou t h ea ven , an d the; lit tle c h ild re n ’s an gels a lw a y s b ein g b e fo re the F a th er? W it h jo y in h e r h eart, M rs. B row n h u n ted u p an extra B ib le. She fo u n d the verses that h a d b e e n a com fo rt to h er, w rote th em on slips o f paper, and p u t th em in th e ir places in the B ib le. She told H a ro ld to ca rry th em ca r e fu lly , an d n o t to lose an y. W h e n h e a rriv ed at the R a y h ouse, M r. R a y w as at h om e , and h e cam e to th e door. V e ry m u ch em barrassed, H a ro ld m a n a g e d to tell h im th at this w as a Book fo r M rs. R ay—-fo r th e la d y th at crie d— and th at th ere w ere som e verses th at w o u ld m ak e h er stop cry in g . M r. R a y th an k ed h im and took th e B ook to h is w ife . H e w o u ld h a v e taken h er a n y b o d y or a n y th in g th at co u ld stop h er h opeless grief. F or th e first tim e in th eir lives, John and Janet R a y spent an e v e n in g se a rch in g th ro u g h th e B ible. T h e y rea d th e verses an d ch ap ters M rs. B row n h a d m a rk ed , an d th en th e y b e g a n to fin d o th er th in gs th at h elp ed . B efore th e y re a lize d it, th e e v e n in g w as g o n e— th e first on e sin ce J u n ior w e n t a w a y th at h is m o th e r h a d n o t cried . T h e n e x t m o rn in g M rs. R a y d id sm ile at H a ro ld , an d to ld h im to ask his m o th e r to com e to see her. H e said, “ W ill y o u let h er in ? She says y o u lo ck p e o p le ou t, an d d o n ’t an sw er y o u r d o o rb e ll.” “ 1 d id , bu t I ’ll le t h er .in w h e n she com es.” M rs. R a y w as q u ie t an d gra ciou s w h e n M rs. B row n w e n t to see h er the n e x t d a y , an d th e y sat d ow n togeth er, tw o w om e n w ith b a b ies in h ea ven , an d ta lk ed to g eth er a b ou t th em : h ow sw eet th e y w ere, h ow th e y lov ed th em , an d h o w lo n e ly th e h ouse w as w ith o u t th em . T h e n M rs. B row n told h e r frie n d h ow th e L ord Jesus Christ lo v e d th e little ch ild re n , an d h ow th e y h a d lo v e d H im w h e n H e w as on e a rth ; th at H e still loves th em , H e d ied fo r th em , and fo r a ll th e w o rld . She told h e r that she, too, co u ld b e o n e o f G o d ’s ch ild re n w ith a h om e in h ea ven if she w o u ld o n ly b e lie v e in th e L ord Jesus Christ. M rs. R a y o p en ed h e r h ea rt an d le t th e L o rd Jesus in , an d she b e cam e a b o rn -a g a in person. S h e p rom ised M rs. B row n th at she an d h er hu s b a n d w o u ld g o to ch u rch th e n e x t S u n d a y w ith th em . It w o u ld b e Eas ter S u n d a y. S a tu rd a y m o rn in g , H a ro ld B row n lo o k e d at h is Easter lily a lo n g tim e, and w o n d e re d w h e th e r h e co u ld part w ith it. H e an d h is m o th e r h ad p la n ted tw o lilie s m on th s a go, after L ittle Sister w e n t aw a y . M o th e r h a d told h im h ow th e o ld
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APRIL, 1965
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