How One Minister Lets His Light Shine by His Wife

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 16, 1911

How One Minister Lets His Light Shine

By His Wife

BY HIS WIFE

BEFORE my husband heard and accepted the truth and became a Seventh-day Adventist minister, he was a lawyer, practising in one of the large Eastern cities. Shortly after he took his stand for the truth, he was sent to another city to hold tent-meetings and take charge of a church.

This was before his matrimonial venture, but strange to say, directly after he was married he was returned to the Eastern city that had been the scene of his lawyer life. It is here that he still resides.

He does not try to avoid meeting his old friends and acquaintances of the bar and other professions, but rather seeks them out and endeavors to interest them in the gospel of salvation, always in a way that demands and holds their respect. He is never without his pocket Bible, and tracts bearing on some phase of the third angel’s message. Among these subjects he often talks about health reform and vegetarianism. This generally raises a discussion in which some one usually declares that no meal really fit to eat could be prepared without the use of flesh in one form or another.

My husband possesses in a great measure that trait of character called Southern hospitality, so in order to settle and prove his side of the question he extends to these friends, several of them at a time, with their wives, an invitation to dinner on a certain date. Now these occasions are regarded very much as social affairs, in which our guests are to spend the evening.

It always falls to my lot to plan and serve the meal, which is gotten up at a very small outlay of money, as economy is also one of the lessons we try to teach. I try to make the table look inviting, with nice clean linen and such china and silver as we possess.

The menu consists of soup made without meat stock, baked beans minus the pork, escalloped potatoes, cabbage cooked without corned beef or other flesh, baked lentils, fruit salad, the dressing of which is made of lemon-juice instead of vinegar, and dessert, usually pie of some kind, the crust being made of vegetable oil instead of animal fat.

We may vary from this bill of fare at times, but we always try to prepare those foods that usually require more or less meat when cooking for the average American. On a sideboard or table we have fresh fruit and cracked nuts, which our guests seem much to enjoy as an after addition.

No ice-cream nor pickles find a place on these occasions, for they are always found on the more elaborately furnished table, where the object is simply to entertain, and to indulge the perverted appetite. We have olives and celery as relishes. Every one seems astonished, and thoroughly enjoys the meal.

After dinner, when we are having a pleasant hour in conversation or music, husband brings out his prophetic charts, of which he has a very excellent set. He just tells the visitors that he wants them to see what a nice line of charts he has, and they are at once all attention and interest. This furnishes an opportunity.

They want to know what the charts represent and mean. Out comes the Bible, and a short but clear outline is given of the prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation as the charts are displayed one after another. The visitors are delighted, and would like to hear and know more of these things, so we invite them to our Sunday night service, and they always say they will attend. I am glad to say they generally keep their promise.

When our guests depart, we may feel some physical weariness, but our hearts are glad because we have let our light shine. We trust that some one through its rays may be led to glorify our Father who is in heaven.