NEGLECTED OPPORTUNITIES by G. I. B.

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Tuesday, January 6, 1885

FromAdvent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 62, No. 1

NEGLECTED OPPORTUNITIES.

By G. I. B.

WE verily believe that there are many souls around us ready to receive the light of the truth, with whom our people, though living near, never become acquainted.

Recently, while spending a few days in a city where we have a church of sixty-five members, we were halted by a prominent citizen who had become interested in Good Health. He said that the things taught in it did not receive the attention, generally, that they deserved. Inquiring if I was willing to take his subscription, he paid me $1.25 for it with the premium, “Household Manual.” Of course I was most happy to do this.

Spending a few moments in business at another house, where I was but little acquainted, one of the ladies present, when she found that I lived at Battle Creek, Mich., asked me about the REVIEW AND HERALD, and said she had received a copy of it lately, and was very much pleased with it indeed; and then asked me several questions concerning our faith and our work, showing an interest in the same.

The members of the church have labored under the impression that there was no interest whatever in the city, and had felt that it was useless to try to do anything there because of the prejudice, etc.; yet in both of these cases, without my saying a word, these intelligent persons showed their interest in an unmistakable manner, one of them even asking me to take his subscription, and paying me for the same. Very likely there might be scores of others in the same city who would be interested if approached in the proper spirit.

We cannot tell how much influence the truth has exerted as efforts have been made to spread it in various directions. We shall see those interesting themselves in it of whom we never dreamed. If our people would wake up and take hold of the missionary work, they would find many interested persons who would encourage them in so doing; but while we are oppressed with fear and unbelief we shall fail to receive the blessing of God ourselves, and very likely the blood of souls will be found in our skirts.

May God help us to arouse, and exercise faith, and press forward as though we had confidence in the truth we profess. G. I. B.