SOME years ago Gertrude came to stay with us for a few months. She was a dear little girl, just seven years old; but you would not have thought her more than five, as she was very tiny, and backward for her age.
Some children do not care to hear about the love of God, it is such an old, old story to them; but little Gertrude was ever ready to listen to anything about Jesus, it was always new to her.
The first lesson she learned was, that she was a sinner and had nothing good in her. It is not a very nice lesson to learn, is it? Gertrude knew that we are all sinners, but had never thought before that she was a sinner.
Often have I heard her say to the Lord Jesus, “I thank Thee, Lord Jesus, that Thou wert punished instead of me.” She would say to me, “I do love Jesus very much.” Her favorite hymn was, “Jesus Loves Me,” which she learned at the Sunday School.
One night on going into her room, after she was cozily tucked up in bed, she looked up with such a bright face, and said, “I have just been saying a little prayer to Jesus. I asked Him to make auntie’s cold better, and I told Him when He comes, I am quite ready. I would be very pleased to see Him.”
Dear children, do you think the Lord Jesus hears such little prayers? I am sure He does, and delights to answer them too, as Gertrude was going to prove. I will tell you how.
One day she came to me in sad trouble, for she had lost her thimble. It was needed very badly just then, to make Dolly some new clothes. They were cut out all ready, but how could she sew them without a thimble?
“It is so very useful, you know, and I expect it cost a lot of money,” she said to me quite earnestly. I could not help smiling at this, but said, “Yes, it is useful, but I do not think it cost more than a penny.”
Still it was real trouble to her, and she did not like losing it.
Her little work basket was turned out more than once, and every place searched, but still no thimble could be found.
I thought I had seen this little thimble a day or two ago, and put it somewhere for safety; but could not remember where.
At last one day I said to Gertrude, “Do you know what I used to do when I was a little girl and had lost anything, I used to tell Jesus, and ask Him to find it for me.”
Gertrude said, “I will ask Him too.” To her little prayer that night was added: “Please let me find my thimble.”
We did not give up looking for it, and now she seemed sure it would be found.
But the Lord Jesus was teaching her a lesson of patience, for two or three days passed, and still no thimble.
One afternoon her auntie said, “We will go into the town, and buy a new thimble.” So they all got ready to start, when lo! it began to rain. Gertrude was very disappointed, as you may guess; but with a knowing look at auntie, she said:
“I am going upstairs, you know.” She went up to her little room, and asked Jesus once more.
Feeling sure that the Lord Jesus knew just where it was, I felt I should like her to get the answer.
That same night, on going to bed, I again thought of the thimbles and asked the Lord, if it was His will, just to give little Gertrude the answer.
Suddenly, like a flash of lightning, came the thought of where I had put it about a week ago.
Searching for it in the pocket of a dress, that had not been worn since, I found the long-lost thimble.
How delighted Gertrude was, when in the morning, she found her own little thimble under her pillow, and heard the story of how it was found!
She could talk of nothing else; and then we saw how God had sent the rain, and prevented her from getting a new one, because He meant to answer her prayer.
“I thank Thee for letting me find my thimble,” was added to her little prayer for several days after.
“I must tell my brothers, that when they lose anything, or have any hard lessons to learn, to tell the Lord Jesus about it, and He will help them,” she said.
Perhaps you will like to know, that Gertrude is still living, and we hope she is able to tell her little friends of the One who so loves her, and has given His life for her.
Will you all learn a verse in John 14? See if you can find it? “If ye shall ask anything in My name, I will do it.” Never forget, dear children, that nothing is too small to tell the Lord Jesus about, not even a little thimble.
This story is written in the hope that many dear children may come to Jesus while they are young, and when they know His love for themselves, they may tell others about Him, and thus bring praise to His precious name.
ML 01/28/1917