I never thought I was such a coward! Afraid to tell my own sister that Christ has saved me, and that I am now His follower. But I’ll do so yet. It must never be said of me, that I was ashamed to own my Lord.”
The speaker was a schoolboy, home for ins summer vacation, and just in from a ramble with his sister through the woods, every path and tree of which was familiar to them both from their earliest years.
Through the earnest testimony of a schoolmate, Harold had been brought to accept and confess the Lord Jesus as his Saviour during the session just closed, and his prayer had been that he might have grace given to confess Christ at home, especially to his only sister, two years younger than himself, the first night he was under the home roof. He knew full well, that if he let that first night pass without confessing the Lord, and telling his sister Grace the story of his conveion, it would be more difficult to do it later on.
During their ramble in the wood, he had more than once made a muffled attempt to introduce in a general way the subject, but this had done no more than arouse the curiosity of his sister Grace, who was quick enough to see there was something more, which Harold either could not or did not tell. After tea, they were walking together in the garden, and again the desire came to confess Christ, and this time Harold silently prayed,
“Lord give me strength to do it.”
That cry was heard in heaven. As surely as the angel was sent to strengthen Daniel of old, so did strength come to the converted schoolboy that moment. Taking his sister by the arm, he quietly said,
“I have given myself to Jesus since I was home last, Grace, and He has made me very happy. I wish you knew how good it is to be on the Lord’s side, having him with us always, helping us in everything.”
Grace was silent: she scarcely knew how to reply, but in her heart she was glad to hear Harold’s confession. They had both been brought up in a godly home, had been familiar with the Gospel, and the Word of God from their early years, but like many others in a similar position, neither of them had personally appropriated the Gospel for their own salvation, or confessed Christ as their personal Saviour and Lord—not till Harold’s conversion, which Grace had now heard of for the first time.
The effect of that simple, honest testimony was, peace to the young believer’s own heart, and it was used by God to stir up a slumbering anxiety in regard to the things of eternity in his sister. And she was ready to accept the same Saviour as her brother rejoiced in, which she did, and was saved also.
ML 06/04/1943