“IDOLS.” I was very struck with this word in a friend’s letter who wrote to me after reading, “I will afford it,” in the December number of the “Message,” together with Dr. Wreford’s loving words of counsel how to do good. Really I think it will do my readers spiritual good to read what my friend writes, and she will, I am sure, pardon my anonymous quotation: ― “It brought tears to my eyes. It seemed to me that God was answering my daily prayers, telling me how to do good with the gifts He has lent me. It is my earnest desire to sell my once earthly idols in order to do good both in body and soul to my fellow creatures.”
I am indeed struck with this word “idols,” so I pass it on to you and ask, “Have we not all some earthly idols that we can give up and give to God?” We cannot take any of these idols with us when we go to the heavenly home He, our blessed Master, is preparing for His loved ones, so let us look out some cherished “idol,” sell it, and give it for Testaments to send to our dear soldiers and sailors. They need them, we do not need our idols, and oh! to have the spirit of giving loving gifts to God, being determined He shall have them, whatever man may say. Like the dear Eskimo Christian, of whom our missionary speaks. He had said to the Eskimo, “You cannot afford it.” So what do you think he did? He left the money with another Eskimo, with the instruction that the missionary was not to be told until he was too far off to have the money returned. As I read of it in the C.M.S. Gazette I said, “God bless that Eskimo.”
Emily P. Leakey