Awake, O North Wind; and Come, Thou South

They lived at the foot of the dike. It was just a simple family: father, mother, and their children. Father was kept busy in his business, selling flour. The mother was well known as a mother in Israel. The father was known as one of the quiet ones in the land, but when he began to talk, he spoke about matters of which one could be jealous. They were members of a small church in the village. From time to time when a minister came to preach during the week, the entire family would be present to listen.

One of their children had Down’s syndrome. He was a sweet boy and not without impressions of eternity. He lived a tender life, and he was very jealous of the people of the Lord. When I could preach in that village on a Sunday, I would stay at their home. The Sundays that I could spend there are unforgettable.

On a Sunday when the Lord’s Supper was to be celebrated, the handicapped boy came up to his mother and said that he longed to celebrate the Lord’s Supper with God’s people. The mother was somewhat shocked. She was convinced that her boy was not a stranger of grace, but to celebrate the Lord’s Supper—no, as far as she was concerned, that was not possible. She spoke lovingly to her son and pointed him to the necessity of the knowledge of Christ. He just wept, and his longing only became greater, but out of respect for his mother he remained seated in the bench both hungrily and longingly. He came home with tears in his eyes. He was very quiet, quieter than was usual. He gathered together all his treasures: his watch, his pen, even his little Bible and divided them among the other children. Further, one could find him in his own room.

It became time for the afternoon church service. The boy went up to church between his father and the minister. There was sorrow in his heart also in the church, and with tears in his eyes he sang along, “Lo, as for man, his days are like a shadow, like tender grass and flowers of the meadow.”

After the church service the family again returned toward their home. Once more, the boy walked in the middle as if they wanted to protect him. Then, unexpectedly a car came up behind them and hit just the boy. In a moment he was in eternity. He could go Home where he could celebrate the Lord’s Supper as he had desired to do here below. Yes, even greater than that, he could sit down at the marriage feast of the Lamb. The mother was deeply moved and also the father. The other children spoke about it with deep respect. Among them there were those for whom the experience would produce fruit for the great eternity.

I sat next to Jonathan and told him about that family. Jonathan was convinced that such things were rarely heard today. Most of the time the world has crept into the families. All kinds of conversations can be heard but hardly ever one about the salvation of the soul, and is it not true that our eyes are blinded by what is placed before us?

Our children have everything today, even midweek services. Church services during the week? That is for old people. I told Jonathan how in that family someone always had to stay home to care for the little ones. Then the one whose turn it was would try to sell his turn to one of the fortunate boys or girls who could go to church. Jonathan wept. Oh, what is our experience today? How little is seen of the fear of the Lord, if that can still be found in families.

Jonathan told of a family where the father cursed more than he prayed, and the words which he used were not sprinkled with salt but with the filth of the world. What, then, can we expect from our offspring? Jonathan was glad that his children still went to church, but alas, he, too, would like to see things differently with his children. We were both convinced that it was necessary that the north and the south wind should once again blow through the garden of His Church. p

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