My Childhood Kingdom

First, I would like to thank my mother and father for allow­ing me to grow up in a home characterized by true, living Christianity. In addition to my own childhood home, we were also blessed with many dear and glorious friends in our neighborhood, from whom I constantly tasted the same good and blessed spirit. This is an inheritance so rich that, unfortu­nately, very few people in history have had the privilege of experiencing it.

I also want to express my great thankfulness for brothers such as Elias Aslaksen, Sigurd Bratlie, Aksel J. Smith and other glorious friends. They were immensely significant for me, especially in my childhood and youth. Without a doubt, I am a fruit of their lives and their preaching. These brothers could comfort, give hope and exhort passionately and with great seriousness and firmness. Their fervent love made it easy to receive their exhortations. They never behaved like preachers, but like servants and brothers. Such brothers are like icebergs—only a small part is visible above the water. The greatest part is hidden. May we all follow their example!

I can remember that God-fearing people came to our home frequently, and their spirit had such an aroma of love that they couldn’t help but make a strong impression—even on the soul of a little child. I experienced such deep goodness and care from these good men and women who lived the Word so sim­ply and naturally, without any form of greatness. They ex­pressed their joy and goodness through the love Jesus had put in their hearts. As a relatively small child, I could clearly taste this love in their lives. It made an indelible impression on me.

Genuine, personified Christianity makes a strong impres­sion on a child’s mind, and the child thereby experiences and tastes the kingdom of heaven from an early age. Personally, I believe it is difficult for children who have grown up with liv­ing Christianity to detach themselves from it later on. In any case, they will have so many good memories hidden in their heart that on their day of visitation these memories will be a great help for them to find their way back to God’s Father­heart.

These memories belong to my childhood kingdom, which in many ways was also a part of the kingdom of heaven.