To the glory of God, let me make mention that hundreds of dollars was
the result of the daytime labor for the payment of the ex-prisoners'
home.
During July and August, 1910, I was in an interior town and was
laboring under an indescribable burden for certain souls. I believe I
know what untold soul-agony is. Whilst almost sinking beneath my load,
I received a letter from one whom, with his bride, I had been brought
into Christian fellowship with in the early days of rescue experience.
The missive had followed me from one place to another until only the
last address could be plainly deciphered, owing to numerous erasures.
Other letters had often miscarried and failed to reach me. This one
was, by the hand of God, safely guided through. The father, with four
little helpless children on his hands, wrote of the mental derangement
of their mother, of his inability to find help, and of his pleading to
God to send some one consecrated enough to assist them in their time of
trouble. He was a poor man, but had a home and was working
industriously at his trade to support his little flock, the youngest of
whom was not four years old, the eldest ten.
Positively I knew of no one to go to the rescue. Whilst I was praying
earnestly for the Lord to find some good woman to mother those little
ones pending their mother's recovering, I received the impression, "Go
yourself." Surely there is work everywhere--just as much in that
distant town as where I was. I admit I shrank from so trying an ordeal,
but, do my best, I could not silence the impression, "Go yourself." I
prayed that if no other door opened within the next three days, God
would let me regard this as a sign that his voice was bidding me take
up this cross. Such was his will. I wrote, saying, "Expect me [date] on
evening train." For nine weeks my immediate duty was with those little
ones. Still further to try me, there was added to my domestic labors,
measles. No sooner had one child recovered than the next was taken with
them, until all had been similarly afflicted.
Some of the neighbors, having learned that "Mother Roberts" was quietly
sojourning at this brother's house, called; and soon I was assisted
with very necessary sewing, etc. After the three oldest children were
once more able to go to school. I received a unanimous invitation to
hold revival meetings in that town. About this time God sent the
brother a splendid housekeeper, an elderly Christian woman, who
relieved me of domestic duties, so that I was able to accept the call
mentioned.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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