Lisa Barry: Yesterday on Gateway To Joy we heard the first half of a tender story about an old woman who waited a lifetime to make Christ the Lord of her life. The questions I posed at the beginning of yesterday's program-I'd like to ask again.

If you're getting on in years and haven't made a decision for Christ, what's holding you back? Have you outlived so many of your friends that you think you still have all the time in the world to decide? Did you pull yourself up by the bootstraps during the Depression, and as a result learned to trust no one but yourself? Could it be that you're afraid if you accept Christ now that it will hasten your death?

Consider the reasons for your delay as you hear the rest of the story Elisabeth started yesterday about an old woman who was about to meet a queen. That's what's coming up on this Tuesday edition of Gateway To Joy.

Elisabeth Elliot: "You are loved with an everlasting love." That's what the Bible says. "And underneath are the everlasting arms." This is your friend Elisabeth Elliot, continuing today a delightful story about an old Dutch grandmother. The story is told by her grandson, who is now, I believe, in his eighties. His name is Cornelius Van Der Bregen, an old friend of mine from many, many years ago. Grandmother was to be visited by the queen, since Grandmother was 99 years old.

"Soon two motorcycle policemen in white helmets zoomed down the dike from the direction of Alfen an der Drien." And I don't know how to pronounce those Dutch names, of course. "They stopped in front of Grandmother's house, turned their motorcycles around, waved people off to the side and sailed away again in the direction from which they had come.

When they returned, the queen's limousine was just behind them. At a broad white stripe that had been painted across the road at Grandmother's house, the limousine came to a graceful stop. The Queen of the Netherlands stepped out. The assembled crowd cheered heartily. At the same moment, the front door of Grandmother's house opened. Grandmother appeared on the arm of her oldest great-grandchild.

On the quaint little wooden bridge, the two sovereigns met and shook hands. The Queen of the Netherlands was all gentleness, cordiality and friendliness. The Queen of Grandmother's Island was all poise, courtesy and calmness. As cameramen snapped news photos for a lovely human interest story, the two great ladies conversed with each other.

Suddenly, Grandmother became aware of the chill, the penetrating wind. She patted the queen's hand solicitously and said, 'Now run along, child. You'll catch your death of cold.'

This took place in May of 1954. On August 24, 1954, Grandmother had a glorious celebration of her 100^th birthday anniversary. However, it was on the evening of November 3, 1954, that the most important even of Grandmother's life took place-the reception of a King." And the word is capitalized.

"As I hastened down the dike"-and this is her grandson talking-"to Grandmother's house that night, sinking far down into my jacket to protect myself against the wind and rain, my one intention was to say a quick good-bye to Grandmother and my aunts before I left on a 40-day missionary journey to England the next morning.

Tante Marie was not at home. Tante Adriana was busy knitting. Grandmother raised her eyes hopefully as I entered the home and said, 'Have you come to spend the evening?' 'No, Grandmother. I'm due at Bible class this evening. I just came to squeeze your hand before I leave for England tomorrow.'

In previous years, my statement would have been met with a mild reproof. 'Why do you have to be going away all the time?' However, this reproof was no more to be expected, for Grandmother had come to feel that whatever it was that I was trying to 'do for others,' it was a good endeavor.

Quite unexpectedly on this particular evening, I found myself conversing with Tante Adriana about spiritual things. She, too, had been manifesting a deeper interest in the Gospel. She was not yet willing to concede that she herself needed a Savior, but at least she had become aware that the peace and joy which come to those who know the Lord Jesus Christ are very real.

Twelve months before this evening, it would have been impossible to converse with anyone else about spiritual things if Tante Adriana had been present in the room. Now she was the one who was asking questions, listening, making comments.

'Oh, I never realized that,' she commented at one point, followed later with, 'I never knew that verse was in the Bible. If that's true, that helps to explain many things.' I was thrilled to have this unsought opportunity to explain the Gospel to her and to let loose every salvo of love that was hidden away in my heart.

'Tante Adriana, please remember that I can understand exactly how you feel. I spent years of my life not knowing that the Bible is true, that God has spoken. If God has not spoken about the most important things in life, then the only thing left for us to do is to search and search. But if God has spoken, if He has told us where we come from and where we are going, if He warns us of hell and woos us to heaven, if He gave His Son to die on the cross to die for our sins and tells us that we can have everlasting life by receiving Him as our personal Savior, then the great need of our lives is to believe God. The first 27 years of my life, I spent not believing God. If I had died then, I would have gone to hell.'"

And Cornie Van Der Bregen goes on to speak to his Aunt Adriana, telling her what it means to receive Jesus Christ as her Savior.

"Tante Adriana, you know I love you. You know I love Grandmother and my aunts and uncles and cousins. You know that seven years ago when I came here, I didn't come to get something from you. I came because I wanted to share with you the most important thing in all the world."

And I would like to pause here in my reading of this little story and ask, "Who may be listening to me today who would like to know what is the most important thing in all the world?"

Cornie goes on to say to his aunt, "'How could I possibly say that I love you, if as a possessor of the peace and joy that only God can give, I were not to tell you about these things? Perhaps at times you have imagined that I was criticizing you or your upbringing. Tante Adriana, please understand that that is not it all. The Bible says, "He that believeth on Him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

Despite the fact that the sins which I have committed make a heap as high as a mountain, I know that they're all forgiven and forgotten by God. I want you to have that same wonderful salvation that I have. Tomorrow I leave for England. I'll be gone for forty days. Every time I go away, I wonder whether you and Grandmother will still be here when I get back. Maybe I won't even get back. That doesn't concern me, but your eternal welfare does.

Tante Marie has received the Lord. You know it.' Here Tante Adriana nodded approvingly. 'Tante Anna received the Lord five weeks before she died.' Tears came now into Tante Adriana's eyes. A tremendous gap had been left in many lives when Tante Anna was called away.

'Tante Marie, Tante Anna and I are going to be in heaven together. Tante Adriana, do you suppose that we don't care whether or not you are there, too? Oh, I wish you knew how much we love you! Above all, I wish you would begin to realize how much God loves you. He gave His Son to die for your sins. He would like so much to give you everlasting life tonight. Would you be willing to receive Him?'

A lovely light glowed in her eyes. Firmly but kindly, she said, 'No. Not now. I'll remember all you've told me. I think that everything you say is very wonderful. It's fine for you. But please, don't expect me to believe differently from what I've always believed.' Like the emperor's generals, older folks do not surrender quickly.

Time had flown. I was way overdue for the Bible class. Jacket in hand, I stood by Grandmother's chair and said, 'Well, Grandmother, the time has come for me to say good-bye.'

'With my hearing as it is, I wasn't able to understand much of what you told Adriana,' she said. 'But I enjoyed it anyway. I can see what a fine work you're doing and I can sense the peace and joy that are yours as you do it.'

During my conversation with Tante Adriana, I had forgotten all about Grandmother. I was utterly unprepared for this gracious remark, but I realized that it gave me a wide-open door for talking further with her. I fell on my knees next to her chair and said, 'Why, Grandmother, I was just saying to Tante Adriana'-and so I repeated virtually everything that had been said in the previous conversation. This meant that Tante Adriana heard everything a second time.

Grandmother listened, quietly and earnestly. 'I agree with all that you say,' she observed. 'Just the other day, I was reading in the Gospel of John which you gave me that "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son," so that we can have everlasting life by believing in Him.'

'And yet, Grandmother,' I replied, 'you have not yet received Him as your Savior. Have you?'

'No,' she answered, without hesitation.

'Yet you know that you are a sinner.'

'Yes.'

I had never heard her make this affirmation before. 'Well, if you know that He died for you, wouldn't you like to receive Him as your Savior?'

'Yes, I would.'

'Then Grandmother, would you do it right now?'

She nodded affirmatively, bowed her head and prayed a simple prayer. I no longer remember the exact words. Words are not the most important thing in such a prayer. The important thing is that the sinner, who needs a Savior, opens his heart to the Savior who died for sinners. This Grandmother did, at the age of 100 years, two months and ten days, open her heart.

The first person to speak after I rose from my knees was Tante Adriana. 'She means it,' she said approvingly. 'She means it, or she wouldn't have done it.'

More than three years were to elapse before Tante Adriana passed from death unto life in that same room. Who can tell what it meant to her to see the aged and venerable sovereign of our island succumb so definitely to the claims of the King of kings?"

Remember that you, too, can come to Jesus Christ anywhere, anytime, and you will find grace to help in time of your need.

Lisa Barry: You may feel as though you've lived a lot of life, but in the span of eternity you're a newborn even if you're 90. If you would like to be sure that you're going to heaven when you die, I want to ask you to write to Gateway To Joy and ask for information. We have counselors on staff who can give you that assurance through correspondence. They'll send you information that will help you make the right decision. Don't put it off. Do it today.

Here's our address: Gateway To Joy, Box 82500, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68501. Our Internet ministry address is gatewaytojoy.org. Gateway To Joy has been a production of Back to the Bible.

Tomorrow Elisabeth begins to read letters from grandmothers who have a lot of wisdom to share. Be sure and join us then for another Gateway To Joy.