Northwestern Bible School - Scroll Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

Page 26 text:

FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE 1820-1910 FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE is a burning example of a Christian who knows what God wants her life to be, and, against all obstacles, reaches that posi¬ tion. From childhood Florence longed to be a nurse, and she spent much of her time aiding those who were Ill, and caring lor animals of all kinds. Visitors at her luxurious home in England commented that they had never seen a child who was so thoughtful of the comfort and pleasure of others. As she grew older, the easy, monotonous life which she led began to taunt her. She felt that God would have her to be of some benefit to the world, not to stay at home and crochet. However, when she broached her desire to study nursing, her parents were aghast and replied that she might as well scrub floors. Undaunted, Florence later left for a training school in Germany and endeavored to lift the pro¬ fession of nursing to an exalted position, from the degraded, unsanitary stale it then held. She became the superintendent of a London nursing home, and, in 1854, during the Crimean War, left for the Barrack Hospital at Scutari. This hos¬ pital was rotten with vermin and filth. The sanitation was deplorable and soldiers were dying from disease and wounds. It has been estimated that there were four miles of beds in the hospital She was not kindly received by olficials, but she began a reform that has benefited humanity every since. She became an invalid in later years because ol the superhuman work she forced herself to accomplish while at Scutari. The soldiers worshipped her. Every night Miss Nightingale would kneel at the bedside ol each soldier, pray and read the Bible to him. One ol the soldiers wrote; She would speak to one and another, and nod and smile to many more; but she could not do it to all, you know, for we lay there by hundreds; but we could kiss her shadow as it fell, and lay our heads on our pillows, again content. The world has been blessed by this consecrated life. Miss Nightingale has been honored by many dignitaries and was one of the founders of the Red Cross. However, she felt that it was only by the grace of God that she was able to accomplish anything for humanity. She once said: If I could give you information of my life, it would be to show how a woman of very ordinary ability has been l ed by God in strange and unaccustomed paths to do in His service what He has done in her. God has done all and I nothing. 1 have worked hard, very hard, that is all, and I have never refused God anything.

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EVANGELIST DWIGHT LYMAN MOODY 1837—1899 DWIGHT L. MOODY, the world-famous evangelist, manifests, in his life, the far-reaching results of yieldedness to God. His influence was not con¬ fined to one locality, but it is truly said of him that he moved England and America for God, His preaching left its imprint upon countless lives. Because of his earnest endeavor and his careful consideration of every opportunity, he reached more than one hundred million people with his voice and pen in forty-four years of labor for God. This was achievement; yet in his success he counted himself as nothing and Christ as all. Man attributes the success of an individual to some unusual personal quality, to education, or to training. Mr. Moody had none of these, yet no man has surpassed him in his power of attraction and influence. His marvellous ability and leadership cannot be explained by any particular natural gift, for he had none. When he first rose to speak in prayer meeting, one of the deacons assured him that he would, in his opinion, serve God best by keep¬ ing still. What then, did he have? He had the life of Christ; and through constant communion with Him and daily study of His Word, he had a like¬ ness to Christ which caused men to listen to him and to believe him. He loved the souls of men with the love of his Savior. His simple language won for him a place in many a heart; and won for Christ souls that others seemed not to reach. It is true that Moody, an unschooled country boy, became what he was by the grace of God. Mr. Moody undoubtedly was a powerful leader of men because of his deter¬ mination to give up his will to God. He heard the statement ' The world has yet to see what God will do with a man who is fully consecrated to Him. To this his answer was, I am a man, and it lies with the man himself whether he will or will not make that entire and full consecration. I will try my utmost to be that man. Surely the world has seen that man in Dwight Lyman Moody, who consecrated himself thoroughly and completely to the service o! God and humanity. His yieldedness to God was the secret of his devoted life.