Chapter 4—Ready to Do His Will

“Mother,” said Ellen one morning, “I had a most beautiful dream last night, and I thought that I saw Jesus. An angel took me to see Him, and He smiled at me.”HMes 20.1

Then Ellen told her mother all about this dream that had given her comfort and helped her to realize that Jesus loved her and would help her to be prepared to meet Him when He should come to this earth.HMes 20.2

Her mother listened tenderly to her daughter.HMes 20.3

“Let us go and talk with Mr. Stockman,” suggested Mrs. Harmon. “I am sure he would be glad to talk with us.”HMes 20.4

Together they went to see the minister. When Ellen had told him of her experience, Mr. Stockman laid his hand upon her head, and said, “Ellen, you are only a child. Yours is a singular experience for one of your tender age. Jesus must be preparing you for some special work.”HMes 20.5

Then with tears in his eyes he told her of the love of God for His sinful children, and of His longing to draw them to Himself in simple faith and trust. He told her that the fear that she was not worthy of heaven was the tender influence of God calling to her. “When a person feels that he is all right, and need not strive to be better, then he is in the greatest danger of losing his hold on God,” the minister told her.HMes 20.6

“Go free, Ellen,” he said; “return to your home trusting in Jesus, for He will not withhold His love from any true seeker.”HMes 20.7

They had prayer together, and the minister asked God’s blessing on the young girl. When Ellen and her mother went home, they felt that they had learned a great deal of the love and tenderness of God from this faithful servant of His. Ellen felt that she loved her Saviour enough now to do anything He wanted her to do.HMes 21.1

When she knelt to pray by herself, she again felt that God wanted her to pray in public. Ellen resolved that she would pray aloud the next opportunity that came. She did not have long to wait, for there was to be a prayer meeting that night at the home of her uncle.HMes 21.2

At the meeting Ellen knelt with the others. She waited, trembling, while several prayed, and then she began to pray. As she praised God, her heart was filled with love and happiness, and everything seemed shut out but Jesus and His glory.HMes 21.3

“I have done what God wanted me to do,” Ellen said to herself when she started home. How very dear Jesus was to her now! She loved Him as a kind and tender parent, and obedience to His will was a joy. Again and again the young girl softly repeated the words, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”HMes 21.4

The Adventists—that is, those who believed that Jesus was soon coming—held meetings almost every day at homes in different parts of the city in which the Harmon family lived. They still believed, as William Miller had taught them, that Jesus was coming in the year 1843, or at the latest sometime before March 21, 1844. The Harmon family attended the meetings regularly, for they too believed that their Saviour was coming soon. The time seemed so short in which to prepare to meet Jesus that the whole family felt they should do all they could to tell others of their hope. But what could the children do? The twin girls, Elizabeth and Ellen, and Sarah, who was older, talked the matter over and decided to earn money to buy books and papers telling of Jesus’ soon coming, which they could give to their friends.HMes 21.5

Mr. Harmon made hats, and the girls were allowed to make the crowns of the hats. Ellen also knitted stockings, which were sold for twenty-five cents a pair. Her heart was very weak at this time, and it was necessary for her to sit propped up in bed to do her work. But she worked on, earning about twenty-five cents a day, happy that her trembling fingers could do something for the cause of God. This money was carefully put away for use in the purchase of books and tracts. Every leaf of this printed matter that the girls bought was very precious in their eyes, for it was a messenger of light, warning people to prepare for the soon coming of the Saviour.HMes 23.1

When Ellen became a little stronger, special meetings were arranged in which the young people of the neighborhood could gather together to study God’s Word and to pray. Some of these young friends were thoughtless and had very little interest in religion, but night after night Ellen prayed for her friends.HMes 23.2

During the day, when opportunity offered, she talked with each one alone, and the result was that every one of these young friends was converted to God. Some of the older Christians felt that Ellen was too eager to tell of the love of her Saviour. When they came to her and complained, the earnest little Christian told them that she could not stop telling of the love of God when His coming was so near, and that God Himself was leading her in this work.HMes 23.3

“I feel like a little child coming to God as to my father, and asking Him what He would have me to do,” she said. “Then as my duty is made plain to me, it is my greatest happiness to do it.”HMes 23.4