Blessed — Or Being a Blessing
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Dear friend,
I am glad to know of the encouragement you have at college in your Young Women's Christian Association work. I am glad to know you are so happy in your work. My heart goes out to you continually in affectionate interest, and in longing that you may be blessed — and be a blessing. These two phases of life should always go together — indeed, they cannot well be separated. If we are blessed — then we ought to be and cannot help being a blessing. There are two ranges of windows in every life — one range toward God, and one toward the world. We should keep both open all the while. We should keep every window open toward God, that we may receive continually the blessings which he would send to us from Heaven. Nothing is sadder than to have one's windows toward Heaven closed, so that when the blessings are sent to us from God's heart — they find no entrance. This is the way too many people live. They leave God out altogether. They have no windows open toward Heaven. The blessings fall upon them — but find no admittance, and they remain unblessed. But you always keep the windows open, every window, and God is pouring into your heart continually, the richest blessings of His love.
Then the windows on the other side, should also be kept open toward the world. That is the way God wants us to live. He does not give us blessings, just to keep for ourselves. Indeed, nothing becomes our own really and truly, until we have passed it on, until we have given it to some other one. Things we keep for ourselves — only spoil in our hands and in our hearts, and nothing good comes of them. It is only when we give out again to others, what God gives us — that we are blessed. This is the way you are living too. You keep your heart open toward your girls all the while, and everything God gives to you — you pass to them. Your letter is full of this thought — the eagerness of your heart to be a blessing to those among whom you are laboring.
It is my most earnest prayer that God will enrich you in all ways, in your own life, through your own experiences, that you may be truly a blessing to all about you. You need not have any fear that the girls will not come to you. As I have said to you before, I believe one of the dangers of Christian workers, is a little overeagerness, that is, a desire which finds expression a little too evidently, to help others. This has always been one of my own dangers. In my earnest desire to be of use, I have sometimes frightened people away, or, at least, have made them a little shy. As a rule, we help people best — when they do not know we are helping them. At least, we find quickest and closest access to them, when we do not show that we are eager and desirous to do them good. Not many people really care about being helped in a set and purposed way. I am satisfied that the best work of our life, is done when we restrain our desire and hold our eagerness in reserve. You know how it destroys a rose, to try to open it before it opens naturally. The same is true of human lives. We must not open them — God must do that, and all we can do is to wait until they open naturally.
I am sure that a great many pastors and workers in various lines of Christian service, need to learn this lesson. Sometimes we have to wait for a long time before the occasion comes when we can really give a person the blessing, the comfort, the help, the inspiration — which we wish to give him. You must not fear, therefore, that you cannot find access to the girls. You love them and you are praying for them continually. One by one, when the time is ripe, they will come to you and you will have the opportunity of saying to them, the word it is in your heart to say; and doing for them, the kindness that you wish to do, or giving them the help or the blessing which you are so eager to give unto them. You want God to send them to you — and He will.
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