I came over to America on September 23rd, 1890, and sat on the tailor's bench with Chris Christensen. He had come over just a few years before me, and he helped me a great deal with learning the language and with the trade, but best of all he helped me to find the Lord.
He had been talking to some of the other boys about their souls, and they told me he would soon be after me. But I was a Lutheran, and quite proud of my knowledge of the catechism, and I felt that he could never move me—in fad, I rather welcomed an argument, believing myself fully competent to overthrow him. Sure enough, it wasn't very long before he approached me as we sat together on the bench with our needles and thread, and asked me quietly, "And how is it with your soul?"
Immediately I bristled up, telling him that I was a Lutheran, had been baptized and confirmed, knew my catechism well, and had performed all my church duties, and that it was all right with me.
He only said, very quietly, "But that's not enough—YOU NEED TO BE BORN AGAIN."
I became indignant and said some hard things, but he just repeated the same words and said nothing more.
I was boarding with a fine, pious Danish lady named Mrs. Sorensesn who later became my mother-in-law. She, too, was a Lutheran and I felt she was a much better one than I was. I considered her one who could pass a pretty good judgment on all religious matters. So I told her that night when I came home from the tailor shop about the young man who had spoken to me, and of how I had answered him, and of his little sentence that he harped on: "Ye must be born again."
I expected she would come to my rescue and defend me, and make little of my tailor friend, but after a moment of silence she simply remarked, "He was right. You do need to be born again!"
This was a stunning blow—it took the starch right out of me! I had no rest or peace anymore, and was only too willing to listen to Chris when he spoke to me again. I could not see it right away, but he was very patient and faithful with me. At last he read to me Romans 10:8, 98But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:8‑9): "But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, THOU SHALT BE SAVED."
Yes, on that blessed truth my soul has found solid rest and peace all the years since. I am now 92 years of age, and ever since that day on the tailor's bench I have been able to say, "It is well with my soul."