THE following true account was given to the writer by her parents. Lisbeth was a happy child, and even in her early childhood her heart was filled with sincere love for the Saviour. It was a real joy to her to go to Sunday-school, or to the meetings of Christians, giving heed to all that was said. In Sunday-school her teachers were often astonished at her answers concerning the Lord and His Word. Her young heart belonged entirely to the Lord; the poor and sick were often visited with refreshments, and she also took gospel tracts to them.
Young as she was, she lived a life of prayer; never going to school or studying her lessons without kneeling before the Lord, asking His help. Yet in all this she was often misunderstood by others, and had to bear much ridicule, but this did not make her waver, for her godliness was real, —the result of inward convictions. Indeed, she had no greater joy than to sing hymns to Him Whom she loved.
But this happy and blessed life was, according to the unsearchable wisdom of God, to be of short duration. When she was nine years old, she was taken sick with Diphtheria, and for seven weeks she suffered much; yet in all this long, trying time, she never murmured. For several weeks she was not able to speak.
One Lord’s Day afternoon she said to her father: “I am going home,” and she asked for her mother, brother and sister; who came and stood weeping around her bed. She said,
“Do not weep when I go home; when the Lord Jesus comes you will be there too. We shall meet again.” She folded her hands and prayed,
“I thank Thee, dear Saviour, that Thou hast died for my sins and also for me. I am one of Thy sheep. Thou art my Good Shepherd, dear Saviour, Thou didst have to bleed at Golgotha for us. Thou wert scourged and mocked. Thy dear hands had to be pierced with nails. There Thou didst have to cry out: ‘My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?’ Thou hast also received the thief on the cross, saying: ‘Today thou shalt be with Me in paradise.’ Accept thanks for it all.”
A few minutes later she added: “O, that I were already there. Dear Saviour, take me today, while it is yet light, or in the night.” Then she lay still, her eyes looking up as though she saw something. Her mother asked,
“Darling, what do you see?”
“An angel is bringing me a white robe,” she answered, “and another one a golden crown. In the midst is the Saviour—, and I am, not yet at home.”
Her mother asked: “Darling, how does the Saviour appear?”
“He is smiling so sweetly, O, that I could describe that glory to you! Come, dear Saviour, take Thy little lamb home!”
After a while she looked around the room and said;
“There where your are, dear mother and father and sister, it is light; but where Richard is standing, it is dark.”
Richard was at that time about fourteen years old. He had long known that he was a sinner, and that without possessing the Lord Jesus as his Saviour, and receiving the forgiveness of his sins, he would be forever lost; but he had not yet accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour. When at this moment he heard from the lips of his dear sister, this strange, and to him so important remark, it moved his innermost soul. He went into an adjoining room, threw himself upon his knees, and cried as a lost, guilty sinner to the Saviour for mercy. It was not in vain: “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:3737All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37).
The truth of this word Richard proved at that hour. In the meantime his dying sister was praying for her unconverted brother. After a while she prayed:
“Dear Saviour! Thou hast helped me in school, hast given me good reports, hast guided and protected me. Accept thanks for it all! O, dear Saviour, convert also my dear grandfather, and explain to him all that Thy Bible says. O, that many sinners may yet be converted to Thee, Amen.”
Richard had by this time re-entered the room. Then the patient looked at all of them, and said: “Now it is light where Richard is standing too.”
At four o’clock in the morning she took leave of her dear ones, saying, “Till we meet again with the Lord! When the sun rises I shall be with Him.” At dawn she spoke her last words:
“Come, dear Saviour, for Thy little lamb, and lead me by Thy hand into the Father’s house!” At nine o’clock she spread out her little arms and— was at home with the Lord. When she drew her last breath, they all wept. Much had they lost, yet they did not wish her back again. To be with Jesus, is “far better” (Phil. 1:2323For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: (Philippians 1:23)). This assurance comforted them.
ML 10/11/1925