At George’s Bedside

“This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God.” — from John 11

In November 1883 Charlie’s brother George became terribly ill. For some days the doctors did not think he would live. Charlie sat beside his bed, and he began to think hard.

George was famous. Thousands of people had cheered him. But now none of his runs and none of his fame could help him at all. Only one thing mattered: was he ready to meet God? And Charlie felt ashamed. He had known Jesus for five years, but he had lived as if cricket mattered most.

George got better. The family believed God had answered their prayers. But Charlie never forgot what he had thought about at that bedside.

That winter Mr Moody, the preacher who had helped his father, was back in London. Charlie went to hear him, and the joy he had felt at Tedworth came back. This time he did not keep it to himself. He told his cricket friends about Jesus and invited them to the meetings. And he asked God what to do with his life.

In 1884 he met Hudson Taylor, the leader of the China Inland Mission. Its missionaries went deep into China, to places where hardly anyone had heard of Jesus. Charlie offered to go. His family was very upset. His mother begged him to stay, and Kynaston thought he was getting carried away. It was hard for Charlie to make the people he loved so sad. But he believed God was calling him, and he told them he must go. In time, most of them came round.

Sometimes God uses a hard time to wake us up and show us what really matters. If you are going through a hard time, God has not forgotten you. He is with you, and he can use even this for good.

Dear God, when hard things happen, help me to remember what really matters. Thank you that you are always with me. Amen.