Our Conversation by Mrs. Jessie Ames

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 8, 1912

Our Conversation

By Mrs. Jessie Ames

MRS. JESSIE AMES

In “Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. V, page 164, are found the following important words:— “Here is a work for families to engage in before coming up to our holy convocations. Let the preparations for eating and dressing be a secondary matter, but let deep heart-searching commence at home. Pray three times a day, and, like Jacob, be importunate. At home is the place to find Jesus; then take him with you to the meeting, and how precious will be the hours you spend there. . . . Teach them [our children] that it is not of so much consequence that they appear with fine clothes as that they appear before God with clean hands and pure hearts.”

Having attended camp-meetings for years, and in a number of different places, my field of observation has not been entirely of a local nature, and I have noted with pain of heart the thought and care that are given to the appearance of the person by so many of our people, especially the young people. Instead of hearing them talk about the blessings they were receiving, the interesting meetings we were having, the good points brought out in the various meetings, planning for their part in the Lord’s work, seeking the Lord for a better religious experience, and many other things which should be their theme of conversation, we hear on all sides such remarks as these: “How do you like my new dress?” “Say, but that’s swell! Where did you get it?” etc., and there follows a discussion of dresses. We pass on a little farther, and hear, “What did you do with that curling-iron? My hair is a fright;” and, “I’ve mislaid my rat somewhere. We girls and some of the boys are going to the park, and ——” but we hear no more, for we pass on. Soon we meet a group of young people criticizing so and so because he or she had taken them to task over some misdemeanor. Although deserving the reproof, they are very indignant.

These are but a few of similar observations, and they witness to the fact that there had not been that deep, heart-searching preparation which there should have been before the meeting began. In other words, the fallow ground of the heart had not been broken up and made ready for the seed to be sown at the meeting; hence it fell on stony ground and could not bring forth fruit meet for repentance.

O, that there might be a waking up among us as a people; a waking up to such a deep realizing sense of our great need as would send us to our knees in earnest prayer for our children and for ourselves, that we might be living examples of what true Seventh-day Adventists should be.

May God grant that this new year will mark a new era in our lives. Let us gather our children about us, and instead of discussing what we shall wear or how it shall be made, spend some time each day in seeking the Lord with them for an outpouring of his Holy Spirit. Then may we indeed expect a rich blessing when the time of refreshing shall come. If we do this, we may rest assured that the coming year’s blessing will be the most wonderful one we have ever enjoyed.

Mountain Grove, Mo.