When I was a little child, just four years old, I had curly locks, which in sunshine and in shower hung down uncovered over my cheek. My father was cutting a log of wood one day near the house, and I was with him. I stood by his side watching the strokes of the ax, and picking up splinters as they fell around my feet. I stooped to pick up one, and in the act of picking it up, I stumbled forward and fell. My head lighted on the log of wood just as my father’s ax was uplifted to strike. It was too late to stop the blow. I screamed with terror, and my father fell to the ground unconscious. He thought he had killed his child. We soon recovered, I from my fall, and he from his terror. He caught me up in his arms, and looked at me from head to foot, expecting to find some fatal wound, but not a scar or scratch was there. He kneeled down on the grass with me beside him, and thanked the Lord with tears of joy, for the merciful and miraculous deliverance that God had wrought. As we rose, he turned to look at the log of wood, and there lay a curl of my hair, which had been cut off by the stroke of the ax. With renewed thanks to God upon his lips, he took up the curl, then raised me in his arms, and carried me home rejoicing. He kept that lock of hair as a memorial of God’s love and care. It tells me of a God of love; my father’s God and mine. It bids me trust in Him with all my heart, and as I look on it from time to time, it stills my fears, and strengthens my faith in that faithful God.
My dear boys and girls, this touching story of childhood’s days has its lessons for you as well as it had for me. Do you wonder that my curl of golden hair is prized? it tells of the love and care of God in delivering me from death.
But the cross of Calvary manifested the love of God with a greater power. There, the only Son of God, whom He dearly loved, died on the cross for His enemies, to save them from the righteous punishment of their sins. God spared not His Son. Was there ever love like His? Trust Him now, receive Him as your Saviour. He will save and be your Friend forever. You will live with him throughout all eternity.
ML 09/13/1936