At one of our coast towns I was holding a big Mission on the sands, and a lady, dressed in black, used often to come to the meetings. One morning, at the close of the service, she wanted to speak to me, and she looked so miserable.
The lady told me that God had taken away her baby, and she was very angry with Him for doing so. She said,
“I have given up all religion; I don’t go to church at all now; and never read the Bible, and never pray; and your services on the sands are the first I have been to for a long time.”
“O, I will tell you a little story,” I replied.
“There was once a shepherd who had a fine flock of sheep, but some very hot weather came, and the grass where they were feeding got very dry and parched. Along the side of the field a river ran, but the water was very low on account of the dry weather. Just over the other side of the stream there was some far better pastureland, so the kind shepherd wanted to get his flock over the stream, but they hesitated, and did not appear willing to cross. So the shepherd took up a little lamb, and began to cross over the stepping stones, carrying it in his arms. The old mother sheep followed after him, bleating, and looked at the shepherd as if she would say,
“‘What are you doing with my lamb?’ Soon all the flock followed them to the other side, into the good pasture.”
That was my story, and I showed the lady how Jesus, the Good Shepherd, had been obliged to take her little lamb over the narrow stream of death into the Heavenly pastures; and that He had done it in great love to her soul, to lead her to set her affections on things above.
I believe it was just the turning point in that lady’s life, and I prayed that it may be made a blessing to many souls.