| Garden of the Heart |
Chapter 11 |
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George Macdonald tells of a boy who wished he could become a painter that he might help God paint His clouds and sunsets. God needs no help of human hands in painting the splendour of the evening skies, but He does want us to help other lives. Consciously or unconsciously we are all the while either helping or hindering Christ in His work. Every day we either honour His name or dishonour it in what we do or in what we do not do.
Before Jesus went away from earth He told His disciples that they should be His witnesses. This referred not only to the words they should speak concerning Him, but to every influence of their lives. Sometimes in a court trial a great deal depends upon what one particular witness may say. Men are brought long distances to testify in certain cases because of the importance of what they know. The other day a witness journeyed all the way from South America to the United States to occupy the witness stand for by five minutes, to answer only two or three questions. Recently several distinguished men traveled a thousand miles to say a few words in court regarding the personal character of an accused man and his standing and reputation for integrity in his former home. None of us know how much we owe to the testimony of our neighbours concerning us, the good words they speak of us, the kindly mention they make of the things we do. If false or calumnious things are said of us by an enemy, the testimony of those who know us in our everyday life is our sole refuge. Our reputation is the composite of all the things that people who see much of us and know our daily lives witness concerning us.
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