Thoughtful Moments

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 40, 1 February 1946, Page 2

Thoughtful Moments

(Supplied by the Wbakatane Ministers’ Association).

THROUGH OPEN WINDOWS Most of' us are no doubt familiar with Rita Snowden’s delightful little book “Through Open Windows.” It is a good book to take. to bed with you. Some one. lias said: “Your last thoughts should be of God. With Him you began the day and with Him let it close.” For the many who find .sleep difficult to woo ) 1 recommend'a chapter or two of this, book on retiring. “During sleep the emotions are stilled, the fever of the soul is calmed and the mind is strangely purified, so that the turbid rush of evening thought is a clear and limpid flow after the hours of .sleep have passed, over the being.” The letters of “Poan” to her friend “Jill” touch points of common and vital interest to us all. One that appeals particularly is written from Pine Hill : “Hello Jill.—Someone has taken upon herself the care of my soul. I didn’t ask her to, but that’s nothing; those kind of people don’t need to be asked. They’re extremely persevering. At regular intervals they see to it that an arresting little tract is slipped into my mail box. One came this evening. The. gist of its message, as far as I could make out was summed up in its heavily printed headline, ‘Prepare to meet thy God.’ All right, but rather an unfinished injunction, because, it didn’t say when. 1 read on and on

. . . and what do you think-—it was all about death. Now, isn’t that queer ? Some people will always get their ideas of meeting God all mixed up with death, and bedside stories and hair-breadth 1 escapes. Why, that that’s all there is to it. Why, we’re, alive and we’re in love with life, and I could have made some sense of it had it said,, as well, ‘Pre-) pare to meet tliy God in the morning when you open your eyes on a new day and jump out of bed, full of the joy of living—-He’ll be there waiting for you. And meet Him beside your office desk —He’ll be there; and prepare to meet Him in tlie sports field, and in the great out-of-doors and in. your very; own home, when you return in the even-

ing. “A reminder of that kind of an appointment that we have with eacn other, wouldn’t, 1 .suppose, be ever really out of place. You see, Jill. He’s my Father, and I love Him. . . It’s so nice sharing with Him all the things-l love. He has such an understanding, somehow, and He never makes me feel that He’s too busy to he bothered with me. I am not afraid of Him; and Avhen 1 do come to think, about death, well,

OUR SUNDAY MESSAGE

somehow 1 can’t work up any fear and anxiety at the thought of meeting Him. in a new way . . -

“Judgment? Yes. 1 must believe in judgment I must, because l know that His kind of love is a love of great wholeness and strength; it’s the kind of love that never lets you go and never lets you off, and L am glad it is. I should hate Ilis love to be that mild, easy going kind that gently pats you on the shoulder and says: ‘There there, 1 know you didn’t mean to do it; it wasn’t very bad anyway and we won’t talk about it any more. . . /

“There is no personal hatred, or anger spite in the heart of God. I am sure of that. We are punished by our sins not for them. To disappoint Him, and know it, is the worst thing that can ever happen to you. And it seems to me that if you love Him, Jill, you act accord.ingly—not to (lodge the rod, not just to gain extra future glory, no, but because you love Him,, and you want to.

“What a great lot people miss who merely try to cajole Him into their favour when it’s time to die. One of the. saddest things in j|the world J think; yet it’s very common. 'Why, only this week someone came for me in a great hurry. 'Could you please come at once and see. Granny?’ It was her son-in-law who stood on my door step, and added, ‘She's had a awful queer turn, and we’re scared- she’s not going to get over it and we don’t know any par-< sons so we thought we’d come for vou. You’ll come, won’t you?’ Well I couldn’t possibly go just then .’. . but 1 went the very minute. I could get away ... It was quite evident that Hie crisis of the day before was over; the tension of the night before bad vanished, and I—well, I was not so urgently needed to dispense the comforts of God

. . . So I came back home sadly wondering. Life was back to it|s, usual running again t and religion at a discount, till I suppose, the next queer turn . . . Why prepare to meet God only at death? Why not have Him every day) in the sweetness of life- Surely He cant be more interested in our dying than in our living.”

Space forbids quoting in full, but the writer reminds us of George Borrow, and his experience of attending an open air service, where the preacher was urging his hearers not to love life over-much, and to prepare for death. Borrow wandered along the heath until he met his ol 1 friend the gipsy, whom he asked: “What is your opinion of death, Jasper?” Promptly came the reply: “Life is sweet brother.”