All for Jesus: A FREE Short Story from SAW Publishing
“All for Jesus!” We’re familiar with the phrase. We sing it in our hymns. We subscribe to it in our doctrine. We pledge ourselves to it by the very fact of our Christian lives.
But do we actually consider what it means?
What would it mean, for instance, to a little boy and his beloved pet? When Harry decides to consecrate himself and everything he has to the Lord, he discovers that “All for Jesus” is a motto that reaches much further than missionaries and church offerings. God gives hundreds of opportunities to those who are willing to serve him—even when they are only a child with a pony.
SAW Publishing’s FREE Monthly Downloads
“All for Jesus” is the sixth in our series of FREE monthly downloads, featuring good and great literature from authors and poets of past generations.
Most of the stories have been gently edited (not abridged!) to remove content that might be inappropriate for today’s children, to make ambiguities in the text clearer for the 21st Century reader, or occasionally to make a brief passage flow more smoothly or effectively. Without recommending all of a featured author’s publications, we hope we can introduce you to many valuable pieces of historic literature that have fallen out of general circulation in the modern world.
Each download presents either a short story or poem by a public domain author. Join us on the fourth Monday of the month for an introductory blog post, highlighting good and great qualities of the piece. Today’s story is “All for Jesus” by 19th Century author Thomas Williams.
Good Characteristics
“Give yourself and all you have to Jesus!” For some reason, when I hear those words, my mind goes to financial or social sacrifices—to those who have lost, or willingly abandoned, the things which they once prized for the cause of Christ.
The author of today’s story takes the same phrase, but applies it in a new way. Harry’s most treasured possession isn’t something he will be allowed to part with—it is rather something that he is being called to use for the glory and service of God.
For those of us who are tempted to divide our resources into “things we can give to God” and “things we can keep for ourselves” this story carries a challenging reminder that stewardship is about a whole lot more than finances.
Great Characteristics
“All for Jesus” carries an interesting literary device when it comes to plot distribution. The first scene opens with Harry walking home from a Sunday afternoon missionary meeting—a meeting which, we are to discover, has actually worked a significant change in his worldview.
Many authors would have opened the story a scene or two earlier. They would have shown us the missionary meeting—perhaps let us hear firsthand the words which have had such an impact on the hero’s mind. There would not have been anything necessarily wrong with this approach, but in the long run, the story is probably more effective as it has actually been written.
Life-changing sermons are notoriously difficult to capture in fiction. Sermons that appear on the first page of a book—before the reader has become acquainted with the hero and his problems—are even more unmanageable. By letting Harry’s tale begin on the way home, the author is able to condense the content of the missionary meeting into three sentences, before moving on to the real core of the plot: how Harry sets out to fulfill the missionary’s charge—as well as the obstacles and victories he meets along the way.
“All for Jesus:” A FREE Download
Harry and his beloved pony provide an excellent introduction for children—and adults—to the concept of a life that is consecrated to the Lord. Whether we are called to mighty sacrifices and distant service, or simply asked to live a commonplace life with kindness and compassion, God has a way for us to give all for Jesus!
To download your copy of “All for Jesus” by Thomas Williams click the link below.
Get your free copy “All for Jesus.”
If you are looking for other FREE short stories from SAW Publishing, see our July edition:
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