The Evening Hour With the Children
By John N. Quinn
EVENING family worship was over, and we had settled down for an enjoyable hour or two before retiring, when my nine-year-old girl climbed upon my knee. Throwing her arms around my neck, her face aglow with happiness, she said: “Papa, I can hardly wait until the last day comes.” “Why not, dear? Why do you want the last day to come?” “O, I want so much to see those things Mrs. White tells about, the things which she saw in vision!” “No doubt you will see that day.” “Papa, do you think I will be saved?” A few moments were spent in making clear God’s way of salvation,—that God has provided everything, we by faith accepting eternal life as a gift from God. “But I do not understand the visions. How does God show things to Sister White?” Opening my Bible, I read a number of passages from the book of Zechariah, especially the first verse of each chapter. Then I read Daniel’s description of his experience when in vision, and told her this was the experience God gave to Sister White. It was difficult to make her understand how one could live without breathing; but she finally grasped the truth that the Spirit of God, being the source of life, became the very life of the prophet, and thus had control of every faculty. The experience of answering questions regarding God’s ways of revealing his will, was to me intensely interesting, and I felt grateful for the church-school, where the truths of the Word of God are kept before the minds of the children. Character is more than knowledge; it is the goal of every true church-school teacher. After worship each evening at present, we spend half an hour with D’Aubigne’s “History of the Reformation,” questioning on each paragraph. The children are much interested. I mention this as it may help some other parent who may have difficulty in entertaining the children each evening. As Sister White says, “Become companions with your children,” manifesting no spirit of superiority. If you do this, your children will find their chief delight in associating with papa and mama. Too many of us are on stilts, and here is where we fail. God makes himself one with us; and what a delightful relation exists between him and his children! No barriers exist, no secrets are withheld from him. To feel the clasp of his hand, and to hear the Word telling of his love toward us,—these are the blessings of him who has accepted the covenant of Mount Zion. May such be the experience of each reader of the REVIEW.