The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1906, Page 85

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

A Blind Man who Could See.

It was the evening of Thanksgiving Day. The
congregation was assembled for thanksgiving serv-
ices. A dear old Christian, who had not seen the
face of man or woman for fifty years, sat at his
usual place in the front row. The pastor gave out
the hymn to sing: “Count your blessings one by
one.”

Now, they all knew the dear old blind Christian
had blessings; they had heard him say so. But
none thought he had so very many. It was just
after he was married that through an accident he
lost his sight. He had earned a living for his wife
and himself for almost fifty years by scrubbing
other people’s clothes at the washtub in their little
kitchen, his wife standing by to tell him when they
were made spotless. He had no children of his own
to provide for, but he adopted and reared a poor
orphan niece. Now in his old age he had lost his
wife, his dear life companion and helper, and it
seemed the only earthly satisfaction that remained
to him was the faithful care of his foster child and
her husband. But they were not rich, and what
they so gladly shared with him could not be much.

But the pastor had given out: “Count your
blessings one by one.” ‘The members near the front
seats heard the blind man sigh: “I can’t do that.”

What had happened? Had the blind man lost
his faith? No—wait—he is finishing his sen-
tence: “I can’t count them that way; I’d never get
through if I did.” To the dear old blind Christian
God’s blessings bestowed upon him were so many
that he could not count them one by one.

As the congregation sang the hymn, many, no
doubt, had reason to be ashamed in their hearts,
knowing that they had never been faced with that
difficulty when they counted their blessings. We all
may well pray that God would open our eyes to see
as well as the blind man.

A Thankoffering in Days of Sorrow.

That a thankoffering may be given to the Lord,
not only in days of joy, but also in days of sorrow,
may be seen from the following story related by
an aged pastor.

Not long after the war an old farmer came to
the pastor, and handing him a gold coin, seid, “I
should like to bring a thankoffering for the Lord.
Two years ago to-day my son fell in battle.”

“And for that you bring a thankoffering?”

85

“Yes,” replied the father, with moist eyes but
with a joyful face, “for I know that my son died
a blessed death.”

“How do you know that?”

“Tn his last letter, written on the evening before
the battle, he once more firmly confessed his faith
in Jesus, his Savior, and in the forgiveness of sins
through His blood, and believing in this Savior he
died. Therefore I know that this my son is not
lost and that I shall see him again. Should I not
be thankful for this?”

Surely, the conviction that one whom we dearly
loved died a blessed death and is safe for all eternity,
should make us thankful.

Colored Lutheran Mission in New Orleans.

The regular correspondent of a Northern paper,
published in the interest of the colored people,
writes as follows in the issue of October 13:

“Prof. F. Wenger and Prof. R. A. Wilde were
installed as teachers in Luther College last Sunday
afternoon, and the ceremony of installation proved
to be very interesting. There were joyful singing
of appropriate hymns and interesting remarks on
the duty of the Christian church and school by the
congregation, choirs, and ministers present. Prof.
Lankenau, pastor of St. Paul’s Church, and head
of Luther College, presided. Rev. Lankenau is
highly esteemed here as a Christian gentleman, and
the good work he has already done as pastor and
teacher for the Lutheran Church is in grand eyvi-
dence around St. Paul’s Lutheran Church on An-
nette und Derbigny streets, where Luther College
stands. Rev. Kretzschmar, pastor of Mount Zion
Lutheran Church, another of that band of broad-
minded Christian white men from the North doing
mission work among the negro people in this city,
addressed the audience and the new professors of
the college on the duty of teachers and preachers of
Christian churches going out to teach and preach,
knowing what the work required of them and being
prepared to do it properly. Rev. Kretzschmar is a
good reasoner and an engaging speaker, and his
address, though brief, was strikingly impressive and
to the point throughout. After the address of Rev.
Kretzschmar, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church choir
sang, and was followed by the introduction and in-
stallation of the two new professors by Rey. Lan-
kenau. The Mount Zion Church choir then sang
‘Praise Ye the Lord’ in a beautiful manner, and
was followed by Prof. Wenger, the new teacher