WILLIE was a little boy about seven years old. His father was a drunkard, and his mother had a very hard time to get along.
One day in winter Willie said—
“Mother, can’t I have a pair of new shoes? My toes are all out of these. The snow gets in, and I feel very cold.”
The tears came into his mother’s eyes as she said,—
“Well, Willie, my dear boy, I hope soon to be able to get you a new pair.”
After waiting for some days Willie said, —
“O mother, it’s too bad! Can’t I get some shoes somehow?” He stood thinking a moment, and then said, “O, I know what to do. I’ll ask God to get them for me. Why didn’t I think of that before?” Then he went up to his own little room and knelt down by his bed, and covering his face with his hands, he said, “O God, father drinks; mother has no money; my feet get cold and wet; I want some new shoes. Please, Lord, get me a pair. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.”
Then he went downstairs and waited for an answer.
Shortly after this a kind Christian lady who lived near them called in and asked Willie to take a walk with her. Willie went. Pretty soon the lady saw Willie’s toes coming out of his shoes.
Then she said,—
“Why, Willie dear, look at your feet. They’ll freeze. Why didn’t you put on a better pair of shoes?”
“These are all I have, ma’am.”
“But why don’t you get a new pair?”
“Mother has no money to get them with. But I’ve asked God to get me a new pair, and I’m waiting till He sends them.”
Tears filled the lady’s eyes when she heard this; and leading Willie into a shoemaker’s shop, she had him fitted to a nice pair of new shoes.
This made him happy, and he thanked the good lady for her kindness. As soon as he returned home he went up to his mother and showing her his new shoes, said,—
“Look, mother! God has heard my prayer and sent me the shoes. Mrs. Gray’s money bought them, but God heard me ask for them, and I suppose He told Mrs. Gray to get them for me.” Then he kneeled down by his mother’s side and said, “O God, I thank Thee for these nice new shoes. Make me a good boy, and take care of dear mother. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.”
Willie had just the same kind of faith that Abraham had. We can think of him as an example of prayer and an example of faith. And we need not have a better illustration of how we are to pray and how we are to have faith in God than this story of Willie gives us.
“Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
ML 08/04/1918