An elderly Christian lady once felt a strong impulse to invite a neighboring farmer's wife to an open-air meeting. But the neighbor refused.
"Open air meetings are not for the likes of us," she said. "I go to church. Not as often as I should: but as often as I can. I don't need those open-air meetings."
"Well," replied the Christian; "but don't forget, 'Ye must be born again.' "
"What do you mean by that?"
"Come to the meeting tomorrow afternoon and perhaps you will find out."
That ended the conversation, but the farmer's wife could not forget those words. All day she went about her work repeating, "Ye must be born again. Ye must be born again. I wonder what she meant?"
Her wonderment built up to the point where at three o'clock the following afternoon she was standing with many others waiting for the open-air meeting to start.
The preacher, without the usual preliminary hymn, or even the usual opening prayer, announced his text: "Ye must be born again!" He repeated it over and over and over. The effect on the farmer's wife was deep and immediate.
"Dear me!" she exclaimed; "the very same words. What can they mean?"
She found that afternoon that those five words were spoken by none other than the Son of God— and meant something that had never taken place in her soul before. But now the Holy Spirit was shedding the light of truth in her hiding place. She came out of it, abandoning all her religious observances, and was soon led to the Savior's feet. She was born again and knew it.
Jesus is tenderly calling thee home—
Calling today!
Why from the sunshine of love
do you roam Further away?