7- THE CHILD AND THE PARASOL

    In March, 1840, Elder Wm. Miller visited Portland, Me., and gave his first course of lectures on the second coming of Christ.  Ellen and her brother who were children at the time were going to the meetings.

Elder Miller was telling the people to get ready for Jesus was soon going to come. (This is our message today also.) Ellen wanted to give her heart to Jesus and she was afraid Jesus would not accept her. Finally she remembered the words of Queen Esther, “I will go in unto the king,' 'and if I perish,' I perish.”

She prayed to the Lord and knew that Jesus had forgiven her sins. She felt very happy then. In one of the meetings where many people were praying and weeping asking Jesus to forgive their sins, she saw a little girl who seemed to be in great distress. Her face would go pale and then blush red by turns, as though she were passing through a severe conflict.

      Tightly clasped in her arms was a pretty little parasol, (Umbrella) occasionally she would loosen her hold of it for a moment as if about to let it fall, then her grasp would tighten upon it again; all the time she seemed to be regarding it with a peculiar fascination.

At last she cried out, 'Dear Jesus, I want to love thee and go to Heaven! Take away my sins! I give myself to thee, parasol and all.' She threw herself into her mother's arms weeping and exclaiming, 'Ma, I am so happy, for Jesus loves me and I love him better than my parasol or anything else!'

      The little girl’s face was so happy, she had surrendered her little all. Young as she was, she had fought the battle and won the victory. There was much weeping and rejoicing in the tent. The mother was deeply moved and very joyful that the Lord had added her dear child as a lamb to his fold. She told the people there that her little daughter had received the parasol as a present not long before. She liked it so much, and had kept it in her hands most of the time, even taking it to bed with her.

      During the meeting her tender heart had been moved to seek the Saviour, she had heard that nothing must be withheld from Jesus, that nothing short of an entire surrender of ourselves and all we have would be acceptable with him. The little parasol was the child's earthly treasure upon which her heart was set, and, in the struggle to give it up to the Lord, she had passed through a trial keener perhaps than that of the mature Christian, who sacrifices this world's treasures for the sake of Christ.

      It was afterwards explained to the little girl, that since she had given her parasol to Jesus, and it no longer stood between herself and her love for him, it was alright for her to keep it and use it in a proper manner.

  Ellen said, "Many times in after life that little incident has been brought to my mind. When I saw men and women holding desperately to the riches and vanity of earth, yet anxiously praying for the love of Christ, I would think, 'How hard it is to give up the parasol!' Yet Jesus gave up Heaven for our sake, and became poor that we, through his poverty and humiliation, might secure eternal riches.”

Let’s be willing to give up all for Him!    

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