A CHRISTMAS EXPERIENCE FROM JUTLAND

I was born in 1896 in the Danish parish Sdr. Omme, where my father was a landowner, and I have many precious memories from my Year of Child from there. Both my parents were believers and had good singing voices, so it was most spiritual songs that we heard in our home, and we children sang. As far as I remember, here is their favorite song:"Hitherto the Lord has helped us well.” Their confidence and faith on God's gracious providence helped them through bad times of poverty and disease.

We were 8 siblings, and for that reason we were sent out to serve early, and when I was nine years old, I was working as a cowherd. It was tough and often I had to work as a grown man, but at home, my mother taught me to pray to God when I got in trouble, so I did, and I was heard many times already as a little boy.

When I was 16 I worked on a farm where the man named Joseph and his wife, Maria. Joseph read a chapter of the Bible every morning and every evening. We also sang a hymn in the morning. In addition, at noon he read a piece of Rosenius ' devotional . On the farm there often lived preachers who met at the mission house in the parish. Joseph had entered the mission house together with other believers.

Just before Christmas there was a missionary named J. Santon, who came and stayd at the farm and held meetings for a whole week in the mission house. A revival began in and around the village. We at the farm took in turns to meeting and one evening I was also free to go. The meeting began with that Santon sang and played on his instrument a song that he had written himself:

You only heard the rumor that flew over you,
you know the Lord only by name
of torturing thorns met your path
and your soul of a crushing need.
You must see! You must see!
Not just hear rumors,
no, you must see yourself!
The Lamb of God, you must see!
You only heard the rumor, but life you didn't get;
you did not drink from the well of life.
Now the Spirit you call from devious way :
"Come today and get life in the son of God."

The first Christmas snow had come, and while we were still inside the meeting, and now lay like a blanket over the landscape. We had a long way home across the heath, where there was only one wheel track to follow. Joseph walked in the front. Santon and I went in his footsteps. At the back was old Joseph's father, who shouted : " Joseph , you cannot find your way can you? "

But Joseph answered back : "No, I can not find any track. We're lost on the heath, and it is very difficult to come forward in deep snow." Santon walked while he prayed,"Jesus, help us to find the way home." But suddenly, Joseph noticed a light somewhere ahead.

We went after it, and it led us home. It was Maria at home, who had put the light in the window to guide us forward. I went immediately into my chamber, which was next to the barn, flipped up my Bible and began to read Romans - kap.8,1 "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”

Then I began to thank Jesus that I was not under condemnation , because I wanted to belong to the Lord.

The miracle happened - Jesus , my Savior, bent down and saved me. I dare childish and simple-minded to think that my sins were forgiven by grace through faith in God's work on Calvary. After I had come to faith in Jesus, it was my greatest desire to be with God's people. I was then invited to attend a meeting at Christmas, where the young people who had been saved, began to testify. We were 4 young people who followed each other and walked the 30km together to attend the meeting. The next day we went back the 30km for home. This was a marvelous Christmas, which I am never ever going to forget. The young people who had experienced salvation, began singing and testifying .
In Isaiah 9.6 we read: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. " Jesus was wonderful in His earthly life. He lived among sinners, but was himself without sin. He came along with the rich, but he remained uninfected from their gold. He once said of himself , "Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”Jesus Christ offers his salvation , joy and peace to all who will put their trust in him .

E. Campbell translated