SERVICE.

White Ribbon, Volume 33, Issue 401, 18 December 1928, Page 12

SERVICE.

A PAPER PREPARED RY A LEVIN Y. AND READ AT THEIR MEETING. For the few minutes in which I have to speak, 1 should like to say something about that which makes life really worth while—that which brings true happiness happiness, not for a day, a week or a year, but a deep abiding joy w-hich will run right through life here, and be with us when we stand before our Maker on that last great day. Something will cause Him to say. ‘‘l was anhungered and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger and ye took me in: Naked and ye clothed me: I was sick and ye visited me: I w-as in prison, and ye came unto me.” Once, it seems to me religion meant to many people the getting of their own souls into Heaven. So busily ‘were they living and praying for their own salvation, that the plight- of othersouls never entered their thoughts. To-day, everywhere the idea and idea’ which is gripping the minds of men is, that once the soul and the life have been surrendered to God. to forget them in loving service for others is the onlv true way of life. >Vas it not Wilberforce, the great man w-ho did so much for the abolition of slavery, w-ho. upon being

asked by a lady of enquiring mind: “Mr Wilberforce, what of your own soul?” replied: “Madam, 1 had forgotten that I had a soul.” I think we know what he meant. He had given his soul unreservedly into God’s keeping and knew it saved, and now his life was one passion for the saving of other lives, other souls. To accept all the gifts of God and then fail to use them in the building of strong characters and in helping our fellow-men, is a sin. Yet, how easily we fall into that path. Taking God’s great mercies, healthy bodies, clear brains, good homes, love of friends, books, music, etc., and making no effort to repay, very often forgetting to say “Thank you,” much less to act “Thank you.” “Rut,” we often say to others oi to ourselves, “We are not all called to serve. If God definitely called me to go to India, Africa, China, the Home Mission Field, or to lie a nurse or a doctor, how gladly I would go; but the call does not come, and realizing that without that inward urge it is useless to go, I stay at home feeling I am not meant for service.” You are; I am. There are things to be done in New- Zealand, in Levin, that God is waiting for you and for me to do. And all the missionaries, doctors, nurses, professors or scientists in the world cannot do these things if they are our appointed tasks. It is an arresting, a startling thought, is’nt it! That there is w-ork, that left undone by us must remair forever undone. To think that God is waiting for you and for me to hear and to heed the small voice, not the clarion call, but the quiet voice which says, “Son, go work to-day in My vineyard,” we are hearing every day. The thought that perhaps we should be teaching in the Sunday School, the thought that we might have spoken a friendly word to that disagreeable looking girl, the thought that perhaps we should give a hand to that chap in difficulty, although we know- he’s not much of a sport. Oh! in all those little whispers within. God is speaking. We hear. Do we always heed? And perhaps, if only we proved faithful in the lesser things the call would come to greater work; but whether we die renowned, or unhonoured and unsung by men. the Supreme joy and peace within can only come from the knowledge that

w-e have been of use. know-ledge, all the things for whicj men strive, will be as nothing whttl gained if the heart be empty of lovJ for fellowroen. I “Are you not lonely here?” ask(-J a visitor of a lighthouse keeper onJ lonely reef. “Not since I saved m I first man,“ came the sw-ift reply. To be of use to our fellows, to them saved from -in and misery, to remember the truth which Clement of Alexandria, spoke so long ago “At all times, God. the lover of men. clothes Himself with man to the at tainment of the salvation of men, is one of the greatest joys of lib 1 am sure that in joining this “Y Rranch we are taking a step, a very definite step to new- service and to wider service. There are so many avenues open to us. May w-e prove faithful to the work we have accepted in the acceptance of the White Ribbon Row. Ido not think any one who has served in any way for any length of time will attempt to tell a young worker that the task will prove easy. It will not. Great things, good things are not easily gained. And so often the nobl.*

causes are the unpopular causes. It is not easy to go quietly on when friends are trying to convince us we are mistaken; friends, I say. If it be someone who does not touch our lives closely we can answer and go on undisturbed, but when those we lo\<» and who love us are telling us we are making a mistake, we sometimes feel shaken. It is not i‘usy to attend “Y” meetings when pals are calling us to play. It is not easy to prepare aedresses and to in public, to uo those thing* required of uf. Dirties, pictures, long, lazy evenings i t home, are so much easier. But, if only we will remember that the difficult way is always the right way, and that the easy paths bring us to no lasting things, but that when we have paid the price of serving we will have gained something of everlasting w-orth. I don’t think we will find it hard to keep our faces steadily toward the goal. Just now w-e are leeling elated. W’e have joined, we In-long to a world-wide movement toi good. A movement organised in °\er fifty nations and numbering hall a million members. It is to lieloiig. Let us strive to keep this feeling when the newness has gone

,iid helpfulness sometime* will look , little like drudgery. When Florence Nightingale was sailing up lllP Bosphorus with her first corps of nurses, going to deal with the inrrors of the Crimea, the glow of adventure excited the young women’s thoughts. Miss Nightingale silenced them: “Young women,” she said, •the strongest will be needed at the wash-tub.” Let us go cheerily on. f v,n when we find it our turn at the wash-tub. It is such a splendid rause we have set out to serve. Why! to know we had brightened one home, given a man back his selfrespect and brought gladness to the >nd heart of his wife, and smiles and songs to the lips of her children, that would be reward enough for nv work we might have done, any sacrifice we might have made. Hut, when Prohibition comes bringing ladness to thousands of hotm s, how •lad we will he if we can say. “I did not stand by and let others do all :<) bring this great thing to pass, i did nty bit.” We may he very sure our cause is worthy. When women like Frances Willard and men like T. K. Taylor give their whole lives to it. we need have no doubts. And so many of the wonderful workers have had to “cross over without seeing the victory, without realizing that for which they toiled with aching hearts. We, with all their consecrated service behind us, have victory in sight. Let us miss not even the tiniest opportunity to serve, lest we be the cause of the prolonging of the coming of the day which will see the removal from our land of this evil bar to the coming of His Kingdom.