Miss Henriette was a quick, busy little lady. She made every minute count, and she was a good business person. She owned several neat little houses on the same property with a little lawn in the center. Miss Henriette and her sister Kate lived in one of the little houses. The middle house was rented to a widow lady with a little girl about nine years old. The daddy had fallen off a horse and been killed. The last little house was used as a gospel hall. I was taken there on Sunday mornings to hear about the love of God.
In our area the whole city was quiet on Sunday mornings. Some people drove off to Sunday school, and others slept late. The widow lady must have worked late on Saturdays and then, like others, she slept in Sunday mornings. When she wakened, she wanted to be sure where her little girl was, so she would step outside and LOUDLY call her home. The little girl didn’t always come right away.
And so it was, that as we tried to say our memory verses in Sunday school, next door a very loud voice would call, “LAURA LEE, LAURA LEE!” It echoed all over the neighborhood!
It was rude, I thought, to interrupt people who were reading the Bible and telling of God’s love. But the mommy didn’t know.
A little later we would again hear, “LAURA LEE, LAURA LEE!” If the speaker were praying, he would have to pause because he knew no one could hear while Laura Lee’s mother was calling her.
It was naughty, I thought, to interrupt people’s prayers to God. But the mommy didn’t know.
I really thought that Miss Henriette would speak sharply to the mommy and make her stop bothering everybody. I was sure that if she didn’t stop her noisy calling, then Miss Henriette would ask her to move.
But Miss Henriette was a wise old lady of prayer and knew just what to do.
One week we were all surprised. Miss Henriette had invited Laura Lee to Sunday school! Miss Henriette was wisely following what the Lord Jesus says in Luke 18:1616But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. (Luke 18:16), “Suffer [let] little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”
Laura Lee came, and she was delighted to listen along with us to the stories of Jesus’ love. She learned that she was a sinner and that “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)). It was as though she heard Jesus, through His Word, calling, “Laura Lee,” and she accepted Jesus’ payment for her sins and gave her heart to Him.
Miss Henriette was a very wise lady, and she knew how to overcome evil with good. So the poor, tired mother got to sleep late and didn’t have to worry about where her little girl was anymore. We got a new friend, and Laura Lee now belonged to the Lord Jesus too and was happy. All of this happened because of Miss Henriette’s kindness in sharing the Saviour’s love.
Some time later, Laura Lee and her mother moved away to the country. We missed her very much. Soon Jesus will call, “Laura Lee,” once more, for her to be with Him in heaven. She’ll come quickly this time. “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:2828Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)).
ML-05/14/1995