Shed some blood

A young couple was deliriously happy when a beautiful little girl was born.  This young couple was unsaved,
in fact they had somehow grown to hate anything and
everything that had to do anything to do with God,
and his son Jesus Christ.  Instead of doing as they
should, and presenting the baby to the Lord for His
blessing, they made a vow that the little girl, whom
we shall call Melinda, was never allowed exposure
to anything that had to do with Christianity.
Throughout her young girlhood she wasn't allowed to
go to Sunday School.  If a preacher or soul winners
from a local church visited their home, Melinda was
sent to her room before the visitors were let in.
Melindas parents and grandparents were well-to-do,
and she had more toys and dolls than she could keep up
with, and ate only the best of foods, and wore the
very best clothing money could buy.  Her parents made
sure of her secular and cultural training. She studies
piano, voice and ballet with the best teachers and
instructors money could afford but her parents were
doing a very good job of keeping her away from
learning anything about the Lord.
One day Melinda's mother was baking her husband a
birthday cake, and she discovered that she lacked a
certain ingredient. She called her beautiful nine- year
old daughter and gave her some money and sent her to
the store to purchase the ingredient.  Her orders were
that the girl should go straight down the street to the
store, purchase the article, and come straight home.
Melinda, glad to be going out on the sunny spring day,
skipped down the street, went into the store and
purchased the article, and started back home.  Melinda
decided it might be fun to take a different route home,
so she turned left at an intersection and walked back
up the street.  She knew that it would intersect a
a little farther up with the street that would lead to her home, so no harm could come of it.  As she walked along, she began to hear some pretty singing and music,
and the farther she walked, the louder it became. 
Finally, she saw that the singing and music was coming
from a big building right across from her.
Melinda loved music and singing, and she possessed
the natural curiosity of a nine year old, so she crossed the street and entered the building.  Though she didn't know it, this was a mission house, and inside was a
goodly number of down-and-outers; a cross section of
of the folks from the lower echelon of society; but many
seated there had experienced the regenerating power of receiving  Jesus Christ into their lives. Some were there, just fulfilling their obligation for having been given breakfast and perhaps some article of clothing.  As
Melinda shyly entered, they looked back and smiled at
the beautiful little girl.  She sat down in the back,
just thinking she would stay just a little while, and
listen to the group on the podium singing such a
beautiful song, but one she had never heard before.
The group finished their song, and a pleasant-faced
gentleman came to the podium and welcomed the
assemblage.  After a word of prayer, he began to preach.
Melinda knew whe should get up and hurry home, but
something seemed to hold her to her seat.  The preacher was talking about who Jesus is, and the many compassionate  miracles he perforned, and finally
describing his arrest, trial and cruel treatment by the Roman soldiers and King Herod Antipas' guards; and   finally his crucifixion.
"At that very time of year when lambs were being sacrificed for a covering for sin, Jesus Christ became
the Lamb of God; not to cover our sins, but to take them away. Jesus had never committed a sin as we have,
but he took all our sins to the Cross and was nailed
there; shedding His precious blood to cleanse us from all sin and make us ready to go to Heaven."
The missionary preached on about why it  was necessary for Christ to come down to earth and give His life on
Calvary's cross to pay our sin debt.  Tears flowed from Melinda's beautiful hazel eyes. The singing group came
back to the podium to join the missionary, the piano
started up and they began to sing "There's Room At
The Cross For You."  After the first verse and chorus the
missionary began the alter call, with the group sing-
ing softly behind him.
"Some of you have gone too long, living your life
without Jesus and his wonderful salvation," he said.
"Here at the mission house we have offered many of  you
gifts of food, shelter and articles of clothing.  You have
accepted those gifts, and  we're glad; but a greater
gift is being offered; the greatest gift ever offered to
anyone.  The free gift of salvation.  And with that gift, another wonderful thing comes to pass; you are adopted
into the family of God and become joint heirs with Christ."
Melinda found herself walking dow the aisle to the alter
in front of the podium.  Her face was streaked with tears.
A lady knelt beside Melinda and hugged her; then took her Bible and quietly explained how she could give her heart and life to Jesus and be saved. Melinda repeated
the sinner's prayer. There was "joy unspeakable and full of glory" in Melinda's heart as she left the mission house. When she had started from home there was a
warm sun shining, but now a cold rain was pouring
down. Melinda knew she would be punished for being gone so  long and worrying her parents.
By the time she arrived home her pretty dress was drenched, and her blonde curls hung limp down the side
of her face, she shivered Melinda's mother angrily
jerked her around to face her, plying her with  questions
about where she had been so long.  Her father came in with an expression of his face that scared Melinda.
Finally, she spoke, "Mama - Daddy - I'm sorry I worried you by being gone so long, but I have something wonderful to tell you. I heard  some pretty singing and music, and went inside a building. They told me all about Jesus dying on a cross. Mama - Daddy' I gave my heart to Jesus and ------"
Melinda was interrupted by a loud anguished sound coming from deep in her father's throat. He uttered blasphemous profane exclamations, and became as a man possessed. Melinda had never seen her father  like that; then she saw him strip off his heavy belt and approach her. Melinda's mother wept in loud cries as her husband beat her daughter until she fell to the floor, mercifully passing out. For two days Melinda was confined to her bedroom. The harsh beating had left not onlybruises, but some lacerations. Her mother applied ointments and  alchol rubs, saying very little; some-
times with tears in her eyes.  The morning of the third day, Melinda awakened with a raging fever and  raspy breathing. A doctor was summoned; his diagnosis being double pneumonia.  These were the days before penicillin was avalible.  Several medications were tried,
but Melinda's condition only worsened.  The fever raged on, and Melinda moved in and out of consciousness;
sometimes murmuring bits and pieces of the wonderful
things she had heard at the mission.  Her mother sat
by her bed patting her forehead with a cold cloth. The
doctor came by briefly, leaving the room sadly shaking
his head. Just before dark Melinda sat up in bed and
called for her mother.  Her mother had lost a lot of  sleep
and had dozed off when she was awakened by Melina's
call.  When she saw her sitting up in bed it gave her a
happy start.  She thought the fever had broke and there was going to be a chance for Melinda to recover after all.
"Mama," Melinda said.  "Yes sweetheart, I'm here."
"Mama, I want you to bring me the dress I was wearing that day." "No honey." Her mother groaned. "You don't want to see that thing.  It was soiled and torn-and-had some bloodstains on it. I threw it in the trash." "Please Mama; go and get it for me." "Buy why, Melinda?" her mother protested. Melinda's father appeared in the doorway of the bedroom with guilt and grief written all over his haggard face. Melinda had lain back down again, closing her eyes She hadn't seen her father enter. She spoke softly, but loud enough for both parents to hear her final words on earth.
"Mama, an angel came and told me I would be going to Heaven soon.
I wanted to take the dress with me so I could show Him that I shed some blood for him."
    

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