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The Home

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park, Washington, D. C. · Jul 11, 1912

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 89, No. 28.

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The Home

By Mrs. Julia L. Zener

THE women of the Seventh-day Adventist Church of Boulder have a society called the Woman's Home and Health Society. It is for the mutual benefit of all women who are interested in home improvement.
The Lord says, in Mal. 4:6, that he is going to turn the "heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to the fathers" before the day of his coming. He is sending messengers to the ends of the earth, telling the inhabitants that the day of the Lord is at hand.
God has made women the home-keepers. The great apostle mentions as one of the duties of Christian women the "guiding of the house." The Lord has told us that the highest kind of home missionary work is the training of the children in the home. Yet how few mothers ever have any training in this important branch of missionary work, except what they stumble into in their blindness as they worry along with their own children. We say "stumble," but is it not rather that the mother is led by an unseen hand, though not aware of it? For is it not true that the Lord is especially near to help the mother in training the children he has given her? One writer has said that the "Lord always works with the mother." It is sad that her faith does not always grasp this fact. If it did, her work would be more satisfactory.
But the Lord has seen what women need, so he has given instruction in regard to how they may help themselves. In "Testimonies for the Church," Vol. VI, pages 117, 118, we read: "The Lord has a work for women as well as men to do." "Women may take their places in the work at this crisis, and the Lord will work through them." "They can do in families a work that men can not do, a work that reaches the inner life. They can come close to the hearts of those whom men can not reach. Their labor is needed."
"If we can arrange to have regular, organized companies instructed intelligently in regard to the part they should act as servants of the Master, our churches will have a vitality that they have long needed. . . . Our sisters generally have a hard time with their increasing families and their unappreciated trials. I have so longed for women who could be educated to help our sisters rise from their discouragement and feel that they could do a work for the Lord! This will bring rays of sunshine into their own lives, which will be reflected into the lives of others. God will bless all who unite in this grand work."
Heeding this instruction, our sisters in Boulder have organized a company to educate themselves to help in the work of the Lord. Their field of action is the home, their own homes and the homes of those around them. They hold meetings weekly. At each meeting, a subject, previously assigned for study, is discussed. Usually two papers on the subject are read, followed by a free discussion. The subjects chosen are those deemed to be of importance to mothers and home-keepers, but they always prove to be interesting to others as well, chiefly subjects bearing upon the teaching and training of the children so they may grow up healthy, happy, and useful. In this way the women teach themselves, learning afresh the long-neglected or poorly learned lessons of bygone years. They study how cheerfully to make the best of their circumstances, how to do things, not forgetting that it takes the little things to make the big things. "The most successful toilers are those who cheerfully take up the work of serving God in little things." These women study how to lighten their own burdens and the burdens of others. In short, they are trying to learn how to be good mothers and good housekeepers, to do the work that God has for Christian women to do.
The strong foundation-stone of this work is the prayer band. Little companies of women, two or three or more, as the case may be, meet for prayer, usually on Wednesday afternoon. Sometimes these bands all join together, and spend a few extra hours in helping some sister with her sewing. Many a weary mother has thus been greatly relieved in time of special strain. These prayer bands are always reported at the weekly meetings.
Another important factor in this organization is the Look-out Committee, whose duty it is to look out for those needing help or sympathy, and render assistance if possible, the cases being reported at the weekly meetings. This committee is composed of the whole company.
This work was started by our sisters in much weakness, and with some trepidation, no one knowing what would be the result of the effort. But feeling that the Lord was leading, they determined to stand by the work and follow as he might guide. It has proved a great blessing to all who have engaged in it. They have all been drawn nearer to one another, nearer to their fellow mortals, and nearer to the Lord. Many have never realized how Jesus loved and pitied others as they do now since they have become interested in this work for the home.
An organization of this kind would be encouraging and helpful to all our sisters, even in small churches.
Several of our members have borne testimony to the benefits which they have received from this association. For the encouragement of others in organizing a similar society, we give several of these statements:—
"Meeting with my sisters in this society, has many times been an inspiration to me in my home life. It has strengthened me in my determination to stand by principle, in training my children for the Lord. Words fail to express the appreciation I feel in regard to our Woman's Society."—Mrs. C. F. Lane.
"When I first attended this society, I noticed the spirit of freedom and oneness that existed. The many practical points brought out in each lesson teach every mother something new in the task of training her children. Many people pay for tickets to attend lectures on character study; but we mothers receive free, valuable instruction each week in the discussion of these subjects."—Mrs. Josephine Gibbs.
"The Woman's Home and Health Society has been very beneficial to me in many ways. I have learned many great truths, given in such simple, plain language, that I have been able to understand and to put them into practical daily use."—Mrs. Alma Britt.
"The Woman's Home and Health meetings have been a school to me. I have learned something practical in almost every meeting; something that I can apply in the training of children,in the cooking of food, in clothing and caring for my loved ones, and in controlling myself. The discussion of the different subjects has caused me to think and read on those subjects, when otherwise I should have given them but a passing thought."—Mrs. Jessie Davy.
Boulder, Colo.