Crayon and Character: Truth Made Clear Through Eye and Ear Part 14

"In the case of the desert, it is conversion, pure and simple. May the heavenly waters of His grace come to each one of us today, whether it be a first decision to be united with Him, or whether it be a decision to return to Him whom we have deserted.

"Our duty toward our fellow men conies before us happily in these words from the prophet Isaiah, 'If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry and afflicted soul, thou shalt be like a spring of water whose waters fail not.'"

REFLECTING AND BLESSING --Helpfulness --Testimony

Those Who Are "The Light of the World" Should be a Guide to Those Who Are in Darkness.

THE LESSON--That those who have received the light from G.o.d's Word should gladly reflect that light to those about them.

The central thought of this ill.u.s.tration is the responsibility which rests upon G.o.d's children in the spreading of the brightness of Christianity to those who must receive it through them. It is appropriate for many occasions and will fit audiences of all ages in which the children form a part.

~~The Talk.~~

"It is said that once upon a time a teacher asked a boy to tell her whether the sun or the moon is of the greater importance to the world.

"'The moon,' replied the boy.

"'Why,' inquired the teacher, 'do you think the moon is of more benefit to the world than the sun is?'

"'Because,' said the boy, 'the moon s.h.i.+nes at night when we need it, but the sun s.h.i.+nes only in the daytime when we do not need it.'

"That was certainly a strange kind of an answer; wasn't it? I will draw the earth and the moon to show more plainly just how mistaken the boy was. [Draw the earth circle and the moon circle, and show the shaded parts as you proceed.]

"Here we have the earth with one-half in darkness, and here is the moon with one-half in darkness. This side of the earth is light, while this other side would be very dark indeed if it were not for the rays of light coming from the moon, like this: [Draw dotted line showing rays of light going from the moon to the earth, completing Fig. 70].

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 70]

"Now, then we ask, can the moon s.h.i.+ne upon the earth all of itself without any help? Ah, no--and that is the thing the boy didn't know, or he never would have answered as he did. Where does the moon get its light from? Yes, from the sun. I will draw part of a circle to represent the sun. [Draw the sun.] And this dotted line [draw dotted line from sun to moon, completing Fig. 71] shows how the sun sends its brilliant light to the moon, so that the moon may reflect part of it back to the earth which would be enshrouded in darkness if it were not for the sun. The moon acts just like a mirror which you hold in your hand and use to reflect the sun's rays wherever you please.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 71]

"Sometimes the moon gets between the earth and the sun, and it is then that it does not reflect the sun's light and it is then that we have nights of inky blackness.

"I wonder if we have ever stopped to think how very much we Christian people are, or ought to be, like the moon. Just as the sun warms and lights everything about it, so the love of G.o.d lights and warms those who turn their faces toward him. We can truly say with the Psalmist, that 'the Lord is my light and salvation,' but we have not fulfilled our mission on earth if we are willing merely to receive this light of happiness, of contentment, of trust and of faith, without reflecting it in every possible practical way. When Jesus said to those about him, 'Ye are the light of the world,' he also said, 'Let your light s.h.i.+ne,' and He pictured to His followers their duty of spreading the light of their blessings to the world of darkness about them. Paul touched upon the same great truth when he wrote to the church at Rome that its members should be 'a light to them which are in darkness.'

"How may we best reflect this light of heaven? It is for each of us to determine this for himself, being governed entirely by his circ.u.mstances, his abilities and his opportunities. But, first of all, we must be sure we have received that light as G.o.d would have us receive it. None of us can be perfect, but we can live close to our great ideal and by learning constantly from Him, we shall find the light coming to us more clearly and more beautifully as the days go by. We shall find a deeper sympathy for those who suffer, warmer love for those whom we may have condemned, and an increasing desire to be of greater help to those who really need help. When we have reached this condition--when we have truly received the light--we need give little thought to the manner in which we shall reflect it.

"Abraham Lincoln once said, 'I do the best I know, the very best I can, and I mean to keep right on doing so till the end.' Such a life sends its rays down through the generations that are to follow, and its reflected light never fades away."

HIDDEN SUNs.h.i.+NE --Missionary Day --Love

How the Warmth and Brightness Stored Away Ages Ago Are Now of Service to Man.

THE LESSON--That the true missionary spirit is the spreading abroad of the warmth of G.o.d's blessings which we have received.

The principles governing missions are permeated with the elements of love, unselfishness and self-sacrifice. This talk may be used, therefore, as a missionary day topic or on any occasion in which it is appropriate to dwell upon any of its attributes.

~~The Talk.~~

"Once upon a time, long before there were any people on the earth and perhaps before there were any animals or birds or reptiles here, the world was covered with an immense, luxuriant growth of vegetation.

How do we know it? The geologists tell us so. They have dug deep into the earth and they have examined what they found, and they have long ago determined that this condition is true. It would seem that in those ages of long ago the world must have been very different from what it is now, for the seas flowed over vast areas which are now solid ground. Immense trees grew in those times, and the great ferns and palms and tropical plants grew in portions where now they cannot grow because it is too cold. I want to draw some trees and bushes to represent this great growth. [Draw trees and bushes of Fig. 72 in green.] And also the bright warm sun which, together with the abundance of water, caused them to grow so profusely. [Draw the sun in orange, completing Fig. 72.] Then, the geologists tell us, there came a great change. There were awful volcanic disturbances which caused the sea to overflow great areas of these trees and bushes and ferns, and they were buried from sight by a vast expanse of water. Gradually, though, another change came. The waters receded into lesser areas and the ground arose from beneath the waves. But the trees and the bushes and the ferns were gone. Where? They had been buried deep beneath the mud and sand and stones which the waters had washed over them. Then, after that, G.o.d created the monster mastodon and the mammoth and many other beasts which have since disappeared from the earth, and finally man was created to have dominion over the earth. For many centuries afterward, no one knew that the earth was once the place of immense trees and ferns and rank vegetable growth which had since been buried beneath the surface. But one day, some of this old, buried vegetable matter was found and brought to the surface of the earth. By that time it was not green any longer. It was hard and compact and looked very much like black stone. Someone seemed to think it would burn if fire were applied to it. And, strange to say, it did burn.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 72]

"Thus was coal discovered.

"Ever since then, we have been digging from the depths of the earth the coal which was deposited there in those ages of the past. And it is blessing the world everywhere. [With the broad side of your black crayon, quickly cover the vegetation of Fig. 72. Then, with broad strokes of the orange chalk, or with a combination of the yellow and the red, draw the flames, completely covering the sun, and finis.h.i.+ng Fig. 73.] Coal is now the chief of the elements which bring warmth to our homes, our places of business and everywhere that we are spending our time indoors; it is the great factor in our great manufacturing and transportation enterprises. G.o.d laid it all up for us millions of years ago!

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 73]

"Thus do we find a splendid example of what real service is. Jesus came to the earth to be of service to the world. When he departed, He left behind Him the command that the gospel should be preached to every creature--that the light and warmth from His life should not remain buried in us but that we should take that warmth to every portion of the earth, that it might, like the hidden suns.h.i.+ne in the coal, bring life to those in the cold and darkness of heathenism.

"Not many of us are able to carry this word to foreign lands or to the distant parts of our own land; but we have an important part in it in contributing our money, our encouragement and our prayers.

"And not only may we do this but we may begin right here in our midst to make our school and church a missionary blessing to those nearby ones who need its warmth. Remember that 'we are amba.s.sadors, therefore, on behalf of Christ, as though G.o.d were entreating by us.'"

"JOHNNIE APPLESEED"

--Boys' Day --Devotion

Story of the Man Who Braved the Dangers of the Wilderness to Bless the Early Settlers.

THE LESSON--That the influence of a well-spent life is its best and most enduring monument. It always adds fame to a good name.

The story of "Johnnie Appleseed" is dear to the hearts of thousands of boys and girls throughout America. The writer has listened interestedly to narratives of the late George W. Brackenridge, of Fort Wayne, Ind., who remembered clearly the visits of "Johnnie" to his early home. The story is abundant in good lessons, and ought to be of special interest on Boys' Day.

~~The Talk.~~

"I am going to talk to you today about a man who paddled his canoe along the rivers in the middle west and roamed the wild forests when there were very few settlers in that country and while the hostile Indians brought terror to the hearts of many who had braved the dangers of the frontier. This sounds like a dime novel tale, doesn't it? Yes, but it is a true story. It is the story of 'Johnnie Appleseed.' How many of you ever heard of him? [Govern yourself in the following remarks, by the acquaintance of your audience with the subject.]

"It was in the year 1801, that John Chapman then a young man of twenty-six years, aroused some interest by appearing with several sacks of appleseeds which he had procured from the cider mills in western Pennsylvania. The first orchard he planted was on the farm of Isaac Stadden in Licking county, Ohio, and, from this beginning, his enthusiasm developed until he decided to go all through the wilderness as far as he could reach and plant apple orchards wherever they could be made to grow.

"One day a lone settler near Marietta, Ohio, saw a strange craft floating down the Ohio river. The boatman was John Chapman, but from that time forward he was known as 'Johnnie Appleseed' by the settlers between the Ohio river and the Great Lakes and as far west as the territory which is now the State of Indiana. I will draw a map to show you where he was and where he went.

[In the drawing of the "map," which is, in reality, at the last, the branch of an apple tree, use brown crayon for the "rivers" and green for the "orchards," carrying the drawings forward as the various points are mentioned. Strict accuracy has not been observed in the map drawing.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 74]

"Here is the Ohio river, where he first appeared. [Draw the Ohio river. Do not label the rivers. The names are given for your guidance only.] He had two canoes tied side by side, and they were filled with apple seeds. He paddled against the stream as he turned his canoe into the Muskingum river, and then up into the Walhonding river, and then into the Mohican and finally into the creek called the Black Pork. It took a long time to go this short distance, for he stopped off every little while to find suitable places in the wilderness to plant apple seeds. And these, of course, grew up, in later years, to fruitful orchards. [Draw the orchards in green. Your drawing will now resemble Fig. 74.] This was but the beginning. From that time until 'Johnnie Appleseed' was 72 years of age he devoted his life to converting the waste wild land into orchards. During the war of 1812 he warned settlers against the Indians and helped to save many lives. He dressed in skins and was respected by the Indians, who considered him a very wise medicine man. Many trips he made back to Pennsylvania, whenever his seed supply was exhausted. In every rude cabin home which he visited, 'Johnnie Appleseed' read the Scriptures, and hundreds were helped to better lives through his teachings. He was noted for his gentleness and kindness. He died, in 1847, near Fort Wayne, Ind.

"Here was a man, boys, who devoted his life to helping others.