A lesson Anna Will Never Forget
One morning many many years ago, a little girl called Anna Grey was sitting at the table having her breakfast. “Mother”, she said, “I want some honey with my wheat flakes”. “There isn’t any honey”, said her mother, “but you can have some syrup”. “I don’t like syrup”, said Anna, “and if I can’t have honey, I won’t eat my breakfast; I hate wheat flakes without honey”.
Mrs Grey looked sadly at her little daughter and was just about to speak to her when the door opened and Jane, the cook came in, saying, “Please ma’am, here’s a poor little girl who wants something to eat.”
Anna’s mother kindly led the poor girl to the fire to warm herself. She said her name was Mary Willis; her father was dead, and her little baby sister was crying for something to eat. “I have never ever begged before”, she said, “but I could not bear to hear my baby sister cry so sore”.
Mrs Grey left the room, and presently came back with some warm clothes for Mary. Then she took a basket and filled it up with some bread and milk, and some meat, to take to Mary’s mother and baby sister. Anna, who was feeling a bit ashamed of herself, asked to go as well.
They found Mary’s mother in a small room sewing. She managed to earn some money in this way, but after the rent was paid there was very little left for food. While hearing all this, Mrs Grey had given the baby some milk and bread. Then she promised to get Mary’s mother more work so that she could earn a little bit more.
After tea that night, Anna was alone with her mother. She came and knelt down beside her mother and cried. “Oh, mummy”, she said, “I see how wrong I was this morning; please forgive me”. Her mother kissed her, and then both of them kneeled down and asked God to forgive her and teach her to be content with all the many blessings that she had. Anna never forgot the lesson she learned that day.
Nobody needs to beg in this country nowadays, boys and girls, but still withal, because of sin and greed in the world there are places where people, even little babies, are starving with nothing to eat. God’s Word has many, many lessons for us. In 1st Timothy, chapter 3 verse 8, we read – “If we have food and clothes let us be content”. That can be a hard lesson to learn, boys and girls, but we can take Anna’s example and kneel down and ask God to help us, and He will.