PART 2
Classes began, but David, in his baggy trousers and big boots, was not intent on his arithmetic and spelling; he was wondering desperately about prayer and Jesus. Recess came without his having a chance to ask his question, but during the noon hour, while the others were shouting outside in the snow, he approached the teacher timidly,
“Miss Nelson,” his voice was anxious, “if I asked Jesus for just three things, do you suppose He’d give them to me?”
“If you ask, and believe that He will answer. What three things do you want, David?”
“I’d like some clothes like the other fellers wear, so they won’t laugh at me anymore; an’ I’d like for us to have enough to eat, so we wouldn’t always be hungry; but, Miss Nelson, I want most of all a new place to live so little sister can cry—she’ll die if she doesn’t! Will He give me these things, teacher; will He?”
Miss Nelson’s heart was touched and her faith was shaken. Too well she knew the poverty of this home, the father’s inability to get work, and even if they had been able to pay, which they weren’t, she knew of no vacant house for rent in the settlement. But she stilled the doubts in her heart, and answered,
“Yes, David, I believe that he will. Do you?”
His face shone with happiness; of course he believed that her Jesus would send the things. Hadn’t she said that He would?
School over, the last tasks at the schoolhouse finished, she started for the settlement. Every time she thought of David and his simple faith, the tears would come. Reaching her boarding place, she went in, her eyes red with weeping. Planning to go directly to her room, she was stopped by her landlady’s voice.
“Come in a minute, Ruth,” she called. But when the girl appeared in the doorway, she exclaimed, “Why, dearie, what is the matter?”
Having found a sympathetic listener, Ruth Nelson poured out the whole pitiful story of David’s three desires. She fished with a sob.
Until she was almost through with her story, she had not noticed Mrs. Black’s visitors, Mrs. Howard, a neighbor, and Mrs. Richards were in the room. The three women were moved deeply by the story and when it was finished, there was a moment of absolute quiet. Who dare say that the voice of God was not speaking to their hearts? Mrs. Black was the first to speak.
“I know how the second request of that prayer is going to be answered, she said. And as soon as her company left she made a number of trips to the cellar, bringing back vegetables, jars of fruit and other canned goods, which all found their way into a big basket. When it was full, she surveyed it with a smile. “You won’t get hungry for a while, laddie and when this is gone, there will be more.” Later that evening the heaped basket found its way to the Morton door.
As Mrs. Richards was leaving, she took Ruth’s hands, and said,
“I know how the laddie’s first request is to be answered, I’ll see that he has plenty of warm clothes for the rest of the winter,”
The next morning she visited the owner of the one general merchandise store in town, explained what she wanted, and that is how David became the proud owner of not just one complete new outfit of clothes, but two! No more boots or overalls, or ragged coats for him!
But the third and most important part of the prayer was, as yet, unanswered— a place to live. Mrs. Black’s other visitor went home without making any promises. That evening she told her husband the pitiful story. He listened in silence, until she said that none of them knew of any place where the family might move.
“Why, I have a place,” he interrupted gruffly, “that house I have been using for a granary. It isn’t much for looks, but it is a good tight house. Two rooms can easily be cleaned out, and they can move in there. I don’t want any rent, and the baby can cry all day!”
And so David’s prayer, prayed in simple faith, was answered. Several days later, when all these wonderful things had been accomplished, he approached Miss Nelson’s desk one noon, and looked up into her face with shining eyes, “
Teacher, Jesus is so good! I mustn’t forget to thank Him, must I?”
“Let’s do it right now, David,” she suggested. And there in the quiet schoolroom, they knelt together,
“With God all things are possible.” Matt, 19:26.
ML 09/22/1940