ONCE WHEN I visited in Ohio, I was struck by the story a lady told about herself. She and her husband lived two miles from her father, and one day she took her little boy, Phil, just five years old, to visit her parents. A storm came on so they decided to stay for the night.
“In the evening,” she said, “my father, as his custom was, called his family together, read a portion from his large Bible, and then commended all to God in prayer. Next morning at breakfast, when the family was together, he again read the Bible and prayed; and I returned home with my little boy.
“I soon noticed that the little fellow seemed more thoughtful and very sober. So I asked him, ‘What is the matter, Phil?’ After a little hesitation, he said, ‘Why doesn’t Daddy do as Grandpa does?’ All I could reply was, ‘O, pooh! You run and play, Phil.’
“My little boy looked disappointed at my answer, but ran off to play. He had only been gone a short time, however, when he came running back to me and with more earnestness again asked, “Mommie, why doesn’t Daddy do as Grandpa does?” I frowned at him, and told him the second time to go and play.
“He seemed grieved, but went away. Soon he came running back to me the third time, and still more earnestly he pleaded, ‘Mommie, why doesn’t Daddy do as Grandpa does?’
“So to pacify him, I asked, ‘How does Grandpa do?’
" ‘Why, Mommie, he gets his big Bible and reads, and then he prays.’
" ‘Well, you ask Daddy when he comes home.’
“I did not expect my husband home until evening, and Phil seemed to wait impatiently for his father to come. When evening came, I said, ‘Now, Phil, it is time for my little boy to go to bed.’ ‘No, Muy,’ he reminded me, ‘you said I could sit and wait until Daddy comes.’
“I tried again to persuade him that it would be best for him to go to bed. But no, he must sit up, and see his Daddy. So he waited up till nearly 9 o’clock when his father returned.
“As soon as he stepped inside the door, little Phil ran up to him and said, ‘Daddy, why don’t you do as Grandpa does?’
" ‘Why, Phil! what are you up at this time of night for? You run off to bed now.’
“Nothing more was heard from the little fellow until morning. He lay in bed later than usual, even until of ter we had had breakfast. When he got up, I put his breakfast in front of him, but he wouldn’t eat anything. He sat very sober, looking at his food.
“So I said, ‘Why don’t you eat?’
He said nothing, but still sat almost motionless.
“Soon I asked him again, ‘Why don’t you eat your breakfast, Phil?’
"‘I’m waiting to ask a blessing,’ he replied; ‘for I don’t see anyone will if I don’t.’
“My feelings were overcome; I couldn’t contain myself any longer, but immediately went into another room where I might weep and pray alone. I told my husband all about it. He was deeply affected. We both felt the Lord was speaking to us and so we weren’t long in getting on our knees before Him about it. He had been seeking us for a long time, and we had kept Him out of our hearts and lives. But now He had used our own dear little boy to bring us to Himself. Humbly we were both led to confess Him as our Saviour and Lord, as did our little Phil, and oh what happiness we realized from then on. We found to our unspeakable joy Him of whom Moses and the law and the prophets did write.
“Our little Phil grew to be an earnest devoted servant of Christ.”
ML-11/14/1971