He will understand

Woman's Work by John French Sloan

I just loved this sad story from the 1910 Girls Own Annual and wanted to share it with  you.

Many women are filled with an earnest desire to engage in work that is definitely labelled "religious". They long to devote the whole of life to God's service, and to be a real power in furthering His work here on earth. But -- in spite of all their longings and their prayers, the way does not open.  Duties that seem so trivial in comparison with the work they want to do -- but "duties" nevertheless -- keep them close to home. 

Let me relate an incident that was told to me recently.

A girl lay dying in a crowded slum. She had been mother and elder sister combined to her young brothers and sisters since their mother died, and had toiled early and long, far beyond her strength, to keep them and the miserable little home as clean as she could, till at last the frail body had utterly given out. A deaconess sat beside the bed talking to the girl, whose pitifully rough, work hardened little hands were lying outside on the quilt.  The child knew she could not recover.

"I'm not afraid to die," she said; "but I don't know how I shall explain things to Jesus, because I've never been able to do anything for Him. I could not go to Sunday School and Band of Hope like the children, there was always so much to do at home."

"You won't need to explain anything, dear,' said the deaconess gently. "Just show Him your hands."


Those jobs that we do day in and day out, year after year which at times do feel like drudgery and makes us feel tired and exhausted on occasions (and no one seems to notice until they aren't done) -- the washing, the cooking, the cleaning up, the dusting, the ironing -- DO matter to Him and this little true story encapsulates it so beautifully. So even though you may not be able to spend hours in pray or reading God's word or doing charitable work for others or being a missionary, what you are doing is living God's word by caring for your families and being keepers of your homes. Don't compare you life with someone else and then feel depressed that they are being a "better" Christian lady . . . stick to what you have been given to do and do it the best you can.

I think A. W. Tozer sums it up with this: "We know of many who have been deceived into believing that the learning and the memorizing of Christian doctrine is all sufficient. They actually think that somehow they are better off for having learned the doctrines of religion.  God actually asks of us what He asked of Noah long ago! “Demonstrate your faith in God in your everyday life!


Blessed are the pure in heart, 
For they shall see God.
Matthew 5:8


Comments

  1. That is a beautiful story! Have a blessed weekend! :)

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  2. That really is a beautiful story, and what you wrote is true, too... Sometimes it doesn't feel like we're doing a lot, but really, what we're doing is vitally important - even when no-one notices.
    Thank you for the encouragement, Jo. It's so nice to be encouraged like that. :)

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    Replies
    1. In this modern age we are always trying to impress others to prove our worth. But God doesn't want to impress Him, just live by his Word through out actions. I loved this story too.

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