JANNA was three years old when her father died, leaving her with her mother in poorest of circumstances. Because mother was compelled to go out working, she had to be put in a Kindergarten. Here the little one, through a Christian teacher, heard for the first time of the Lord Jesus as a, Saviour, who is now in heaven, and loves little children so much. This made a deep impression upon Janna, and at the first opportunity, slipped away from her teacher to go to the Lord Jesus. In her childish simplicity, she thought there must be somewhere on the horizon, a door opening to heaven; but, alas! she had to return without having her desire satisfied. The way was longer than she had thought it to be. At another time she began crying when teacher was speaking in glowing words on the glories above, and the joys of the saved ones. On inquiring why she was crying, she said: “I do want to go to heaven too!”
In course of time mother took her home again. They lived in a small room in a large village near the border of Holland. In those days, they often lacked the necessaries of life, and more than once the little one had to go hungry to school. The earnings of mother were so small that people nowadays could hardly think it possible to be true. In summer time, she worked from four o’clock in the morning, till ten or eleven o’clock at night in the farmers’ fields.
In winter time she would knit stockings. But work was not always to be had, which was indeed hard for the poor. How good it was for Janna to know the Lord Jesus, and to learn more of Him daily in school, and learn to know Him, too, as the one to whom she could tell all her troubles, and whose pleasure it is to show His grace and power in sustaining and comforting the poor and needy, widows, and orphans. A little to one side of the road on the way to school, there stood a tree that had grown crooked along the ground. Here was Janna’s retreat for prayer; here she told Him when she was hungry, and again and again she experienced that God answers prayer.
“Here, Janna, take my lunch. I am not a bit hungry,” said Talka to her. Talka was the daughter of a well-to-do farmer, but she, too, loved the Lord, and He had drawn the hearts of the two together in tender and loving friendship. Sometimes Talka would ask Janna to take a walk with her into the woods. and would. never neglect to take a big sandwich along for her friend. Selecting some secluded spot, they would sit down on the soft moss, talking to each other about the Lord and heaven. Kneeling down they would ask the Lord to take them too, to be with Him. Janna had another friend, Folkea; she was as poor as Janna,’ but she, too, knew the Lord as her Saviour. One day these two girls went to glean wheat in the harvest fields. Already the wheat had been mowed and the fields were being gleaned by the workers; but the poor girls thought there might be a little left that had not been seen. Before going to work, Janna suggested that they ask the Lord to help them find much; so they hid behind some sheaves, knelt down and brought their desires before the Lord in child-like simplicity and faith. Just as they had ended their prayer, and beginning to work, a rough voice made them look up in terror. A big strong man, with a stick in his hand, came cursing and scolding towards them, saying with a threatening gesture: “What are you doing in my wheat field?” It was the owner who thought the children had come to steal. The two stood trembling, not knowing at the first what to say; finally Janna took courage, stammering: “We only asked the Lord Jesus to make us find a great deal of wheat in the fields where we may glean.”
The simple words of the child softened the heart of the man. He could read in the innocent look that she had spoken the truth; besides, he knew her mother to be an honest woman. In a different manner, and voice he said: “Well, if it is so, you may glean on my whole farm, and where my workmen have not yet gleaned, you may gather as much as you can carry.”
What joy filled their little hearts! How the faithful Lord had answered their prayer! Janna gathered on this and the coming days, enough to last them for some time.
Winter was especially hard for Janna and her mother. In those days poor people had no stoves, but an iron plate above which was the chimney. On this they burned dry sticks which they gathered in the woods; but the fire was not sufficient to give them comfort, besides they were poorly clothed.
The mother took suddenly sick, which burdened her heart, and she wondered what would become of them now. It had been hard enough when she was well, but how. would they fare while she was sick. Again, Janna knew what to do; she went to the same source from which they had already received innumerable blessings. She asked the Lord to restore her mother to health again and behold the Lord heard and soon the sick one could leave her bed. Still another trial was before them. All food had gone, because mother had not earned anything for some time. With tears in her eyes, she was compelled to send Janna, to school without breakfast, and how should they get a dinner? On the way to school Janna went to her old retreat for prayer, knelt down and said: “Blessed Lord Jesus, give us something to eat this noon.”
Meanwhile mother went to look for work. She went first to a farmer’s wife, asking her if she had some knitting for her to do.
“No, I have nothing for you at present,” she said, at the same moment the thought came to her, the poor woman might not have anything to eat, and therefore put the question: “I suppose you haven’t many potatoes left?”
“No,” came the answer, “I have no more.” The kind woman got an apron full of them and gave them to her. With a thankful heart she went home, and how the eyes of Janna beamed when she saw a dish of them steaming on the table when she came home at noon. They tasted so much better to her than ever before, because the Lord had provided them.
At eleven years of age Janna took care of a farmer’s cows. Quite often she could be seen driving the animals to the meadow with the big Bible under her arm. She used her spare time in reading the precious book.
Through constant reading in the word of God, Janna learned more of the Lord Jesus, and what is pleasing to Him, striving faithfully to act as He wished her to do. In doing this she had to learn something that all children of God have sooner or later to learn, that is, that we are not able to do the good we should. Over and over again she would do that which was wrong and would bring dishonor to the Lord’s name and disturb her own peace. Then she thought she was not fit for heaven because nothing impure can enter there, and yet it was her heart’s desire to be with the Lord. The poor child did not yet know that all whet believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and found forgiveness of their sins and peace with God through believing in Him and His work on the cross, are in God’s sight holy, spotless and without blame. During this time the Lord gave her a nice dream. One night she saw herself lifted up into heaven by a multitude of angels, where she was surrounded by an inexpressible glory.
The dream made her very happy for a few days, but as time went on she lost her joy, being at times very unhappy and crying much. This did not do her any good either. As sincere as her sorrow over past failures was, neither her tears nor her prayers and good resolutions could bring lasting peace and joy to her heart. This state of her soul lasted till she by faith understood that the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus alone makes us fit for heaven; then rest and peace entered her heart and she understood now the meaning of the verse in 1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7): “The blood of Jesus Christ, His son, cleanseth us from all sin.”
Janna is a gray-haired old lady now; her heart is still loving the Lord and enjoying the peace of God, longing for the moment when the Lord shall come to take His own home to be with Him and then to see Him as He is and to be like Him, never to grieve Him any more.
ML 09/19/1909