WHEN I was a little girl I liked to watch the long railroad trains with their big engines puffing away, as they went speeding past. Now that I am grown it is still a sight that I enjoy, and doubtless many of my little readers enjoy it too.
I wonder how many of you know that in the big engine that pulls the long train, there is always a man called the engineer, and he is the one that makes the train go.
The engineer’s work is very important, because if he does not do it right, the train may be wrecked, and many people injured or killed.
A short time ago an engineer, who had been running a train for 53 years, made his last run. He was 70 years old, and ready to rest after so many years of hard work.
Whenever Mr. B. started out on a run, he first knelt down in the cab of his engine, and prayed that the Lord might help him bring his passengers safely to their journey’s end. And his prayers were answered, for in all those 53 years—which, meant thousands of trips—he never had an accident.
The Lord does hear and answer prayer, and He delights to have His children ask His help and blessing in their work, whatever it is.
We may not know anything about running a train, and we may not do any other kind of work on which the lives of many people depend. But whatever we do, we need the Lord’s help and guidance. Very often we need wisdom to do the right thing at the right time, and in the right way.
When you begin the day, you can ask the Lord to give you patience and kindness, for you need these in your play as well as your work. You would like to be kind and unselfish and obedient, and many other good things, but you need the Lord’s help. So do not forget to pray to Him often—very often—to help you every day and every hour.
I hope you will all be like the “praying engineer,”—always turning to the Lord for help, strength and wisdom.
ML 10/05/1924