Hands That Knit
A few years after her childhood accident, Ellen and her family joined the followers of William Miller, who were looking for Jesus to return around 1844. Still suffering from the aftereffects of her injury, Ellen was unable to go out and share her newfound belief with others. However, she could use her hands to earn 25 cents a day knitting socks, providing money to buy literature for others to distribute. GOP 359.2
Along with thousands of other Millerites, Ellen was terribly disappointed when Christ did not return as expected. Mere weeks later God gave her the first of hundreds of visions and prophetic dreams. In that first vision Ellen was shown that if they kept their eyes fixed on Jesus, despite their terrible disappointment, eventually the small band would reach their heavenly destination. This focus on Christ continued to be central throughout her life. She was also told to share publicly what God was showing her in vision. Later she was instructed to write out the visions. When she tried to do so, she discovered that her hand was steady so that she could write. GOP 359.3
Before her fledgling ministry had many fruits by which to judge its genuineness, several times while in vision Ellen’s hands held up Bibles, reminding people that although God was speaking through her as His messenger, her work ultimately was not to focus on herself and her writings, but to uplift Jesus and His Word, the Holy Bible.GOP 359.4
In 1846 Ellen gave her hand in marriage to James White, a committed, young, energetic Adventist preacher. Theirs would be a blended partnership lasting until he died at the age of 60 in 1881.GOP 359.5
In 1849 Ellen’s folded hands joined others in praying over the newly printed copies of the first issue of the little paper The Present Truth before they were mailed. Throughout her long life Ellen produced many published articles and books. From her pen also came much helpful counsel about establishing and operating publishing houses around the world. In fact, today the Seventh-day Adventist Church operates more than 60 publishing houses and branches worldwide. There the dedicated hands of modern-day workers prepare truth-filled literature not only to be read by Adventists but also hand-delivered by thousands of literature evangelists and others to share the news of Christ’s soon return.GOP 359.6
Ellen’s prayer, along with those of the others for our first little paper, was just one of many times during her long life when her busy hands were folded while she talked with God, whom she often addressed as “My Father”—not “Our Father,” but “My Father.”GOP 360.1