Young John Hawkins, the poor gypsy boy in the Refuge Home, had been unable to sleep. Getting up in the night he had wakened one of his masters, a kind Christian man, who pointed him to Christ. John got saved that night. A happiness and peace he had never known before now filled his soul.
Before he went back to bed, the master gave him some good advice which helped to shape his after life: “Now, Johnny,” he said, “take a bold stand for Jesus Christ; nail your colors to the mast, and refuse to haul them down.” Then he gave the boy a text: “Whosoever shall confess Me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God; but he that denieth Me bore men shall be denied before the angels of God.” Luke 12:8,9. Then Mr. Lawler gave the young convert some tender words of encouragement.
“My dear boy,” he continued, “your lot in life is a sad one. You have no friends or relatives to help you. Every other boy in the home has someone to appeal to in the hour of need. You have no one. But remember, Johnny, God will take care of you. If you look after God’s interests, God lives to look after yours.”
Young John got through the next day all right, but after prayer that evening an awful struggle took place in his heart. Satan seemed to say, “If you kneel down in that dormitory to say your prayers, all the boys will see you and you will have a rough time of it. You’d better slip into bed with the rest, and when the lights are out you can say your prayers quietly in bed.” However, young as he was, John got the victory over the subtle tempter. “If I try to hide my prayers,” he said to himself, “I’m being ashamed of Jesus.” So when the other boys were getting into bed, he knelt down to pray. The boys were amazed, and several threw their pillows at him. But as he said afterward, “Pillows never hurt anyone.” He took his stand for Christ and the very joy of heaven filled his soul that night.
Much persecution followed John’s confession of Christ. Most of the other boys were not Christians, and tried to make his life one of misery. They snubbed him and jeered at him, but the Lord gave him grace to bear up under it all, and he went about his duties singing and making melody in his heart to the Lord. Afterwards he would often tell young Christians that persecution is a wholesome thing for the child of God.
The night he got saved, Mr. Lawier had also told John not to go on keeping company with unconverted friends. He had a chum named Charlie; so the next morning he went to him and told him that he now belonged to Christ and that he could not go on with him in his worldly company and in their old sinful ways. Charlie was aghast; but he became very much concerned about his own salvation. And then one day he told John he too wanted to put his trust in Christ. Together they knelt down in a quiet corner of the dormitory and John prayed for his friend. Charlie also prayed, asking the Lord Jesus to come into his heart. He too found the Saviour, and rose from his knees “a new creature in Christ Jesus.” Charlie became a bright witness for the Lord in later years and came to America and served Him here.
But the work did not stop there. The Spirit of God wrought in the hearts of other boys in the dorm, who also knelt to pray, and many of them found Christ.
John became a real soul-winner, and while still a young fellow he busied himself in gospel work, speaking at meetings for the boys and giving his testimony on the street corner. On one occasion he was asked to say a few words to an audience composed mostly of adults. John was naturally of a shy disposition, and shook with nervousness. The only words he could stammer out were: “Jesus loves me and I love Jesus; I want you to love Him too.” Then he broke down, the tears flowing down his face. Many hearts were softened that day, and perhaps more was done by those simple heart-felt words than many an eloquent polished oration.
Gypsy Hawkins felt that God was preparing him for his life work—that of winning souls for Christ. He had a little room set apart in which he could spend what leisure time he had with his Bible and his books. He had had little or no education, but while other lads were frittering their time away, he toiled on manfully to improve his mind, and fit himself to be a teacher of the gospel.
A friend once suggested to him that he could serve the Lord better had he a college training. But young John did not think he would do well in college. Furthermore, he said at the time, “If God has a work for a converted gypsy lad to do, He will enable him to do it without his going through college.” He did not despise the training, but he felt that in his case it would be a waste of time.
Thus, he was forced to rely completely on God, and he proved the preciousness of His word, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” For fifty years and more, he served the Lord in the gospel. God blessed his simple ministry of Christ. Only eternity will reveal how many found the Saviour through the faithful testimony of John Hawkins, the converted gypsy boy. “He faileth not.” To him be all the praise!
— Adapted from John Hawkins
Memory Verse: “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, bold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!” John 1:29.
ML 05/21/1967