Chapter 30—A Message to a Girl

Mrs. Ellen White loved little children very much. She not only loved her own sons, but she loved other children too, and would often say to their mothers, “Your children are very precious to the Saviour. He loves them more than it is possible for anyone to realize.” As she grew older she was happy to have her grandchildren with her. As she watched them about their work and play she understood better than ever how God watches over His children and loves them.HMes 169.1

One day she overheard Ella White’s mother reading to her about the coming of Jesus in power and great glory. The little five-year-old girl listened carefully. “What!” she asked, “Jesus really coming back to this world again?”HMes 169.2

“Yes, my child,” answered the mother, “Jesus is coming to take His people to be with Him forever. He will take all those who are doing His will.”HMes 169.3

“Oh,” said the child. “Why didn’t you tell me before? When is He coming?”HMes 169.4

“We cannot tell just when, but Christ is coming soon.”HMes 169.5

“O Mother, I want Jesus to take me, but I don’t think I am ready to go with Him. I’m afraid I haven’t always been a good girl. What shall I do?”HMes 169.6

“You must give your heart to Jesus, then you will be willing to give up your own way and do the things that please Him.” “But, Mother, how can I do this? It is hard for me to give up my own way. I am afraid Jesus will come and find me doing the things that I want to do instead of the things that He wants me to do. What shall I do, Mother?”HMes 169.7

“You must ask Jesus to give you a heart to do His will. He will hear your prayers and give you a new heart so that you will want to do His will instead of your own.”HMes 170.1

“When shall I do this? I don’t want to wait until I say my prayers tonight; can’t we pray right now?”HMes 170.2

While Ella’s mother knelt to pray with her, the little girl said, “Dear Lord, please change my wicked heart. You know how hard it is for me to give up my own will. Help me, Jesus, for I don’t know what to do.”HMes 170.3

Of course, the Lord heard the little girl’s prayer and helped her to be kind and good. He helped her to give up her own will, whenever she remembered to ask Him. How happy it made her grandmother to see that even a very little girl could really understand just what Jesus wants His children to do to be ready for His coming.HMes 170.4

One night years afterward this same little girl knelt as usual by her bedside to pray. But this night she was not happy, for it seemed to her that Jesus was far, far away, and that He did not hear her prayer at all. Ella was fourteen years old, but she knew that she was not as careful to do the will of her Saviour now as she once had been.HMes 170.5

After a long while she crept into bed, and with tears running down onto her pillow, she said, “O God, I feel all wrong, but I am going to trust You and believe that You love me, and that You will show me what the trouble is and help me to make it right.”HMes 170.6

The next day she and her little sister Mabel, who was ten, were in the kitchen when they heard Grandma White’s carriage drive up to the door. The girls ran happily to meet her. Mrs. White came in and sat down. She greeted the girls and admired the little twin brothers, who were only seven months old. Then she turned to Ella’s mother and said in her sweet, gentle way, “I want Willie to call his family together, for I have something to say to them.” She always called her son Willie.HMes 170.7

Soon all were seated in the parlor. The girls were each holding one of the little brothers, as they often did during the worship hour. Then grandmother took from her satchel several sheets of paper and began to read.HMes 171.1

“I was unable to sleep after eleven o’clock. In the night season I was instructed of God. One stood by me and spoke.”HMes 171.2

Everyone in the room felt very solemn. The girls stopped amusing the twins and listened closely. They knew who it was that grandma meant when she said, “One stood by me and spoke.” They had often heard her speak of the beautiful angel that came to talk with her in vision. They had many times heard her repeat words of warning and instruction that the angel had spoken to her for God’s people.HMes 171.3

Mrs. White read that the angel was interested in this home. She was bidden to tell the children that they needed more time to read and study the Bible.HMes 171.4

“Can it be possible,” thought Ella, “that God has sent His angel from heaven with a message just for us?”HMes 171.5

As her grandmother read on, she realized that the angel had been sent with a message for them. Mrs. White read that the children did not understand that as a part of their education they should be taught to perform the little duties of life well. All their work should be done so well that it would pass examination at any time.HMes 171.6

“The girls must improve in forming orderly habits and in keeping their garments clean and neatly mended,” she read to the family. Ella and Mabel looked at each other. If there was anything these two girls hated to do it was to sit and darn stockings and mend dresses. “God has noticed that I dislike doing these little things,” thought Ella.HMes 171.7

“His angels are watching to see how they can minister to your family,” Mrs. White continued reading, “how they can work with your children that they shall reflect the likeness of Christ in character.”HMes 172.1

Then Mrs. White looked right at the girls as she read: “In the performance of household duties, careless, neglectful habits are being formed. The habits of disorder now indulged in, unless corrected, will be carried into every phase of life, and the life will be spoiled for true missionary work.HMes 172.2

“Let your first work be to see that everything in your own room is put in order, the dirt and dust carefully removed. God is displeased with habits you are forming. Form correct habits even in dress, let your appearance be neat and attractive, for the angels of heaven are taking notice to these things.HMes 172.3

“Books are to be laid aside for their proper season, and no more study should occupy the mind than can be attended to without neglecting the household duties.HMes 172.4

“In doing your daily duties promptly, neatly, faithfully, you are missionaries. You are bearing witness for Christ. You are showing that the religion of Christ does not make you untidy, coarse, or disrespectful to your parents by failing to heed their counsel and instruction.HMes 172.5

“Bible religion will make you kind, thoughtful, faithful. You will not neglect the little things to be done to give a neat, wholesome appearance, even to the kitchen. ‘He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much.’”HMes 172.6

When Mrs. White had finished reading the long letter, she handed it to her son and said, “This is the message I have been bidden to give you. I counsel you all to take heed to it.” She talked a little while with the family, telling them not to be discouraged, that God loved them and had noticed how self-sacrificing they were. Heavenly angels would be with the children to help them correct their wrong habits.HMes 172.7

When her grandmother had gone, Ella sat very still, thinking. She had asked God to help her and to show her what was wrong with her life, and that night His angel had stood by the side of God’s messenger, giving counsel and advice. He had even mentioned Ella and Mabel by name.HMes 173.1

Ella arose from her chair determined to do her work the very best she could. “Come on, Mabel,” she said. The girls went to their own room and began dusting and cleaning. Soon the room was as neat and orderly as any room could be. The books stood straight and even on the bookshelves; clothes closet, bureau drawers, and every corner of the room were thoroughly cleaned.HMes 173.2

“The angels saw it all,” Ella told Mabel, “but if they noticed when we slighted the work, they will notice too when it is well done.”HMes 173.3

The house where they lived, in a half-deserted village in Australia, was old and hard to keep clean. The floors were made from rough boards that must be scrubbed with a scrub brush, and there were none of the modern helps that make housekeeping easy. There was no running hot water, no electricity, no washing machine. This made the housework hard to do, and each girl had to do her share.HMes 173.4

It was Mabel’s task to clean and shine a long row of lamps, and fill them with fresh oil every day.HMes 173.5

A little later when the mother came into the kitchen, she found the little girl looking at the row of lamps. “I didn’t shine all eleven chimneys,” Mabel was saying wistfully, “but I’ll try to do them better after this.”HMes 173.6

“Be patient a little longer,” said the mother in her cheery way. “We’ll soon have a nice little home of our own out in the woods near the new school.” Then she added, “But in the meantime let us all do our best to make this poor old house as pleasant as possible for one another, and for the angels, who are unselfish enough to leave heaven, where everything is in perfect order, and come down here to stay with us.”HMes 173.7

For many years Ella was ashamed to have anyone in the family mention how she had been reproved by the angel, but now, since she has a family of grown children, one of them a missionary in Africa, she realizes that the message which helped her when she was a discouraged girl may also help other girls and boys who are tempted to slight their work and to think that no one sees.HMes 174.1

The angels see when we do not do our duty, but they also see when we do it well. How wonderful it is that the great Creator, who hangs millions of worlds in space, notices how we perform our little tasks, and that He counts it real missionary work when we do them “promptly, neatly, faithfully,” because we love Him.HMes 174.2