DEAR children who see and read this paper, I want you to listen very carefully, because this story is written on purpose for you. Whether it is Katie or Amy, or whatever your name may be, this piece is for you, specially for you, just as though it was a letter the postman brought you, addressed to your own very self.
There is a little girl whom I shall call Lily. I want you to fancy that you are in her cottage home just now. Lily and her sisters have gone to bed; but they are talking, and what is it they are talking about? Listen, and you may hear.
Emily is saying to Lily, “O, Lily, suppose the Lord Jesus were to come tonight, as it says in our verse, ‘The Lord Himself shall descend,’ and that I should be caught up to meet Him in the air—if you should be left behind, what would you do?”
Emily goes on telling little Lily more of what their dear mother often speaks to them of—the Lord’s coming. This you may read about for yourselves in the first Epistle to the Thessalonians, at the end of the fourth chapter. Lily knew that the Lord might come for His people at any moment, for she had been very often spoken to about it. She began to feel that she was not ready to go, and that she should be left behind if He came that night. Lily grew very unhappy, and said to herself how glad she should be if she could make herself ready. She had read that there was only one way, and that is to have our sins forgiven and washed away. She had read, too, that Jesus wanted little children to come to Him; so at last she left off trying to make herself ready, knelt down, and told the Lord all about it, and just trusted herself to Him. To use her own words, “I gave myself to the Lord, and I know now I am ready whenever He comes; for He has washed all my sins away, and I do try to please Him!” O, how happy Lily is now—how glad she did not put off any longer coming to Jesus; for the Lord is coming for His people, and He will also come to punish those who do not love Him.
Dear little ones, it is because I want you to be ready, too, that I have told you this little story. Now, don’t put this paper down and forget it. I want each of you to answer this one question: If the Lord comes tonight, am I ready?
I am sure that some who read this can say, “Yes, I am quite ready.” But some of you will have to say “No”; and, dear children, Jesus sends you a message—again He tells you He died for sinners—He loves you now. He is waiting for you to trust Him—won’t you do so? Be like Lily; don’t put it off; tomorrow may be too late.
ML 10/15/1916