LITTLE Mamie was not in the class one day, and as she was a delicate child, I feared her absence was caused by illness. This led to an early, visit, and I found the little girl wrapped in a shawl, reclining in an easy chair on the veranda.
She gave me a smile of welcome as I seated myself beside her. I found her mother was out, and I was well pleased to have the chance of a little quiet talk with the dear child, whom I had already learned to love.
She was often ill, and now said gravely, “Mother is getting so discouraged about me, I’m so often sick. She’s afraid I won’t grow up.”
Gazing at the pale face, and frail little form, reclining so listlessly in the chair, I could well understand the mother’s anxiety.
“What do you think about it, yourself, dear child?” I asked.
“I think Mamma is right,” she said soberly “for the doctor has been trying so long to make me well and strong, and I get more and more tired.”
“And suppose you don’t get better. Suppose it be God’s will that you should die, would you be afraid?”
“No, teacher.” was the ready answer. “Why not, dear?” I asked in surprise.
“Mamma says I’ll go to heaven, if I’m good.”
“And are you good, Mamie?”
“I try to be, teacher, but I’m often cross and impatient.”
“Now tell me, dear child, how good will you have to be to satisfy God.”
“Oh very good indeed I should think, quite good altogether,” she answered after a pause.
“If one be ‘quite good altogether’, there will be no badness left in the heart, will there?” I asked.
“No, I suppose not,” she said thoughtfully.
“And are you quite good, dear?”
“No, teacher; not yet, but I’m going to try hard, Mamma says we must do our best to please God.”
“But my child, it’s God’s best, that must be done, can your best reach to that, do you think?”
Mamie did not answer, she was thinking, and just then her mother returned and took me into the parlor to finish my visit with her.
I went home with an anxious heart and prayed that the dear little girl might see the mistake she was making in trying to win God’s favor by her own goodness.
A few days afterwards I again visited my little scholar, and found her as before taking the air on the veranda.
She had no smile for me today, and I feared she was not as well as she seemed at my last call.
“They say, I’m better” she replied to my questioning, “but”—
I held her little hand, and waited a moment before remarking, “You don’t look happy, what is it dear child?”
“Oh I am not good, I can’t be good. I’ve tried so hard this week, not to be cross, or to make trouble about taking my medicine. But the more I try, the worse I behave.”
I wiped the little tear stained face, and soothed her gently, while saying, “Yes, yes, dear child, I know all about it. But I have a sweet message for you, it is from God, Himself. Then I opened my Bible and read. “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly!” Then I gave her the book to read it herself, for she was almost 12 years old, and could read very well.
“Who are the ungodly?” I asked.
“It means bad people doesn’t it?”
“And are you ungodly, Mamie?”
“Yes, teacher, I must be bad, for I know I’m not good. I can’t be good however I try, “she added thoughtfully.
“Then, dear, don’t you see you are one of those Christ died for? He knew that, try as we might, we would still be without strength, to do the things that please God. That we would still be ungodly. He was sorry for us and came down to earth to die for us, and now He wants us to stop our trying, and our doing, for all is done. Now we have only to rest on His doing, and thank Him for His love.”
As little Mamie did not speak, I thought she had fallen asleep, and softly rose to go, when she opened her soft brown eyes, and said “I never knew that verse was for me. I want to think about it.”
Soon after the little girl was taken to the country and I lost sight of little Mamie.
Now if any dear young reader is making the same mistake that little Mamie made, stop, and come to Jesus as you are.
“All the fitness He requires,
Is to feel your need of Him.’
ML 10/09/1904