Willing To Be A Missionary In The Kitchen

Serving – May 2021 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Willing To Be A Missionary
In The Kitchen

Many years ago, living in a poor area of the United States, there was a humble servant girl who had never had more than three months of schooling in her life. She earned $4 a month. Out of this, $1 went to her chapel and $1 to foreign missions. She was the largest local contributor in both these directions. The other $2 went to her father, who was very poor and had a large family. She clothed herself by taking in sewing and sitting up late to do it.

An earnest minister visited the place. Accommodation was scarce, so her room was provided to him to use during his visit. On the table lay her Bible. He opened it and found it marked on nearly every page. But, what struck him most of all was her note by Mark 16:15 (KJV), which says, “Go ye into all the world.” In firm, clear letters she had written, “Oh, if I could!”

The next day the preacher spoke to her about the note, whereupon she broke into crying, and for the moment he could get nothing out of her. Years later he heard this story:

This girl was converted at the age of 14, and on reaching home she found a paper, “Call for the Gospel.” Where it came from, nobody knew. That paper had impacted all of her thoughts. For ten years she had prayed for the Lord to send her to the mission field.

But then a change had come over her. Just two weeks before the preacher’s visit, she had come to the conclusion that she had made a mistake, thinking the Lord’s plan for her was that she should be a missionary in the kitchen. At once her prayer became, “Make me willing to be a missionary for Thee in the kitchen,” and the Lord had answered that prayer.

For ten years she had longed for the big thing while not neglecting smaller things, as her contributions showed. At last she became willing to accept the very little thing, to shine for the Lord in that narrow circle as kitchen-maid, but then the Lord sent her out to a distant mission field in His very blessed service!

“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much” (Lk. 16:10).

By F. B. Hole, adapted from “Outlines Of Truth,” 3rd Edition, pp. 130-131.