When I was a girl of ten my father and mother took me to open air meetings that were often held during the summer months on a beautiful grassy, green spot just outside the city. My cousins were all converted and they were anxious that I should be saved too. But I was not much concerned about salvation then. I preferred to play or run in the woods.
I think it was on a Saturday afternoon that a gospel service for children was to be held in the open air.
An American evangelist was present to address them. My cousins went all around the village and countryside to invite the children, and Bob, my youngest cousin, came for me.
“Come on, Margie,” he said, “come to the open-air meeting.”
“I tried to get rid of him by saying I had some homework to do, but Bob would not take “No” for an answer. He repeated the lines of a hymn.
The voice of wisdom cries,
‘Be in time.’
So I got ready and off we went.
That was a never-to-be-forgotten meeting. The gentleman from Ameca told of how many boys and girls he had seen converted in his country, how happy they were, and he read letters from several of them. A number of the children began to weep, and I soon found myself weeping also. I felt so bad, and my sins seemed so great. The evangelist told us of the sufferings of Jesus on the cross, all for us, to save us from the curse, and the judgment, due to our sins. I saw, as I had never seen before, that His death was for me, and that believing on Him I was saved. I found Christ as my Saviour at that meeting. A great many more believed that afternoon too.
That was my conversion, and I can say to His praise that Christ Jesus has been a true friend to me all over the years, and I know He will be to the end. Others I know, who started on the heavenly road that afternoon, are at home with the Saviour in heaven now. Others are still pressing on, happy in Him whom they trusted years ago. But, sad to say, many who were my playmates, who rejected Christ and grew up in worldliness, have lived unhappy lives and died without hope. I can tell you, dear boys and girls, that it is a blessed thing to know Christ and to be saved in life’s early days. There is nothing worth living for on earth save Christ; but in order to live with Him and for Him, you must first come to Him, and receive Him as your own Saviour.
“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” John 1:12.
ML-03/27/1966