It does not rain one drop, mamma; only look out of the window,” shouted little Nellie Arnold, as she rushed into her mother’s room early one morning. “The clouds are bright, and I am so very happy, for we will have such a splendid time at aunt Annie’s! O, mamma,” she continued, eagerly, “I prayed God, last night, to make it clear, and now I am going to see how good I can be all day long. Won’t that be the best way to show Him how thankful I am?”
“Yes, my darling,” answered Mrs. Arnold; “Jesus loves to see little children trying to do right; but do not forget to ask his aid, for you can never be good, darling, in your own strength.”
Just at that moment, Nellie’s little brother entered the room, and the little girl, kissing him, exclaimed, “I do not see how I ever could have been unkind to dear little Willie; at any rate, after my good resolutions, I shall be kind to him all the day long.”
“Do not be too confident, my daughter,” replied Mrs. Arnold; “it is easy to be pleasant and kind when everything goes well—when nothing vexes us. I love to see you happy, but my darling must learn to be watchful as well.”
“O, yes, I know all that, mamma,” said Nellie, eagerly; “but just wait, and see if I will not be good today.”
How slowly the hours passed to the excited little girl. It seemed as though ten o’clock, the time appointed for her visit, would never come. After having told her four times within ten minutes what o’clock it was, Mrs. Arnold proposed that she should play in the garden with her little brother till the hour arrived. Delighted with this proposition, Nellie ran out to play, and for some time the garden rung with the children’s merry laughter. At last little footsteps were again heard through the hall, and before long Nellie entered her mother’s room, and exclaimed,
“O, mamma, please look at the clouds, and tell me do you think it is going to rain?” Mrs. Arnold glanced from the window, and replied, “It does look very much like it, my dear; but it may not, after all.”
“O, mamma, if it should, I would have to play all alone with Willie; and you know I hate to play with him—he is so cross, and never will do what want him to. If it should rain—and the child’s lip quivered— “if it should, what should I do?”
“I trust my little daughter would bear the disappointment patiently, knowing God sent it, and remembering her good resolutions.”
Nellie made no answer, but gazed with anxious countenance upon the clouds, which grew darker and darker every moment, till at last the rain-drops commenced falling; and then, no longer controlling her feelings, the child burst into tears, exclaiming,
“It’s too bad! we won’t be able to go at all today, and I do want to see cousin Clara so much. It’s too bad!—O, mamma.”
“Why did my little daughter pray God to make it clear today?” asked Mrs. Arnold.
“Because,” answered Nellie, “I knew if it were I should be so happy at aunt Annie’s, for cousin Clara will be there, and the pony, and—but don’t you think it may clear? Would it, if I should pray God very hard?”
Mrs. Arnold took the anxious little one upon her knee, and without seeng to notice the eager question, kissing the tear-stained cheeks, began as follows: “Once, when you were a baby, Nellie, I was seated with you in my arms before a table on which was a lighted candle. Your eyes were enchanted with the brightness, and your little hands tried to grasp the flame. Can my daughter tell me why she wished to have it in her hand?”
“Because, mamma,” replied the child, “because I thought it would please me very much.”
“And does my little girl suppose I gave it to her as she wished?” asked Mrs. Arnold.
“O, no, mamma!” replied Nellie, “you loved me too much to let me burn myself.”
“But was it not too bad for me to refuse anything which you thought would give you so much pleasure?” asked Mrs. Arnold.
“Why, no, mamma; you knew better than I did what was best for me,” replied Nellie.
“But I know some One,” continued her mother, “who knows far better than ever I can what is best for my little girl, and that One loves her better than any earthly friend ever can.”
“It is God, mamma,” answered Nellie.
“Then should you ever say that what He does is too bad, even though you cannot understand His reasons for disoppointing you?” asked Mrs. Arnold. “It is right for my darling to pray,” she continued; “God loves to hear little children; but, when begging Him to grant some longed-for pleasure, do not forget to say, ‘Not my will, but Thine be done,’ ever remembering that God knows best.”
Nellie was silent for a few moments, and then, throwing her arms around her mother’s neck, said,
“I do not think it will clear, mamma, and I am very sorry, for it is hard always to feel that God knows best; but I know what to do, dear mamma,” and the child smiled through her tears. “I will ask the Lord Jesus to forgive me, and help me to be good today, and to keep me from feeling so very, very sorry.”
Mrs. Arnold kissed the earnest little one, and said,
“The Lord Jesus will help you, darling; and if this disappointment brings you nearer to Him, my little daughter will thank God hereafter for this rainy day.”
Little reader, will you not choose for your motto, “
God knows best,” and like little Nellie, first bring yourself to Him, then all your sorrows, no matter how small, to Jesus. Then, if you love and follow Him He will bear you in His bosom, and will bring you safely to Himself in the glory where He is.
ML 07/23/1944