Jehovah Never Fails
As told by Kathryn Bogard
ALREADY I am over three years beyond the “seventy years” spoken about by the inspired psalmist. (Ps. 90:10) During those years “trouble and hurtful things” might have predominated, but for one thing—Jehovah’s unfailing consolations to those striving to live up to his requirements. Yes, fifty-six of those years have been spent in Jehovah’s service, fifty of them at the Watch Tower Society’s headquarters, a place we affectionately speak of as the “Bethel Home.”
Those years have gone swiftly. That is to be expected when there is evidence that Jehovah is blessing the work of our hands and granting prosperous results. And when one recalls the small beginnings, the wonder of it all is even more impressive!
Beautiful hills with plenty of timber country and wild game are among my earliest recollections. I was born in the Rose Valley area of Pennsylvania, some thirteen miles from Williamsport. The farmland was not of the best, but we had what most other communities had, a farmers’ lodge hall, a church and a little red schoolhouse. To make a living a farmer had to milk a few cows and, in winter, cut some timber for sale either as fence posts or for pulp.
In the winter we always had heavy snows, and travel would be difficult. This meant missing church quite often, but that was not so much of a loss, for it was always the same story week after week, appeals for money for the preacher’s salary, with nothing new to relish and enjoy. Though we were living in such a paradisaic setting, the stern realities of making a scant living were always with us. Very little hope of a brighter future was held forth to us beyond some hazy ideas about going to heaven where the angels are.
Personally, what could I expect of the future? Would it be a case of marrying a farmer boy and settling down to milk cows and do chores and remain in this peaceful valley? One could do much worse, but I always had the feeling that I wanted to do something more widely useful with my life. Well, the situation arose that called for me to do something to aid my father and mother in a financial way. I had to leave the valley and seek employment—a step that was to open up an entirely new life to me.
NOT LEFT WITHOUT DIRECTION
The scene changed then from the sheltered Pennsylvania valley to the city of Rochester, New York. Employment as a waitress brought me into contact with all kinds of people, some belonging to the Christian Science faith, some of them Catholics and some of other religions. To me, at the time, it looked like there was little to choose from, for people of all faiths seemed to be headed in one direction.
Here it was that Jehovah’s never-failing direction came into the picture. A nice Catholic lady informed me that a fine series of Bible pictures was being shown in the theater on the next street, and she even gave me money for a ticket. Well, imagine my surprise when I found that admission was free, and that there would be three more evening sessions!
Yes, this happened to be a showing of the Photo-Drama of Creation, sponsored by the Watch Tower Society. Its Bible story in pictures so deeply impressed me that I eagerly accepted an invitation to a home where a Bible study was being conducted each week. It was called a “class” of Bible Students. What was outstanding about those meetings was that those assembled for Bible study were conscious of the fact that they could become equipped to serve God in a practical way.
The Photo-Drama activity was then at its height, and there was much work that could be done. Small classes such as the one I was attending could purchase what was known as the Eureka Drama, consisting of slides, a carbon-light projector and records. These slides could be shown in schoolhouses, lodge halls and other rented premises. Our group acquired a set, and I can well remember showing the pictures in a mental institution as well as many other places.
Best of all, I enjoyed the privilege of taking the Eureka Drama with me on vacation and showing it in my home community after widely advertising it throughout the countryside. After each showing we were accustomed to hand out to the audience illustrated book versions of the Drama. When I came to my old schoolteacher he remarked dryly that he had known all about the Bible’s story before I was born. My reply was: “But you did not tell me about it.”
AT JEHOVAH’S DISPOSAL
It soon became plain to me that there was only one way for me to enjoy a satisfying and useful life, and that was to place myself at God’s disposal, making myself available for his service. So I applied for appointment to the colporteur service, now known as “pioneer” service, that is, full-time service of spreading the Bible’s message of the Kingdom. At about that time the particular message that was being distributed was “The Fall of Babylon,” a Scriptural exposure of Christendom’s religions that was published in what was then known as The Bible Students Monthly. Thousands of this pamphlet were allocated to the Williamsport area for distribution, and we were kept very busy. Even one elderly person volunteered to fold and bundle them conveniently so as to make it easy for those of us who were taking them to the homes of the people.
Wartime produced much trouble for the organization of Bible Students, as Jehovah’s witnesses were then known. The officers of the Watch Tower Society were arrested on a charge of sedition. They were out on bail, and one of them, C. J. Woodworth, came to Williamsport to give a talk. That was a joyful occasion and even my parents came to hear the talk, though they had previously warned me that if I were ever arrested I should not bother notifying them.
The book The Finished Mystery, which was the cause of so much ire on the part of the clergy, continued to be distributed despite opposition. Those who trusted in the One who does not fail kept on spreading its message until the Society’s officers were brought to trial and sentenced to four concurrent terms of twenty years in Atlanta Federal Penitentiary.
Because of these difficult conditions the headquarters of the Society was moved back to Pittsburgh temporarily, and at the same time I made a change of territory that brought me closer to Pittsburgh. Having up till then worked mostly in isolated areas, I found this a great source of spiritual strength, for I could have the association of many mature ones.
We well knew that if it had been his will Jehovah could have released his servants from prison, even as he had done in times past. But how loving of him to put it into the hearts and minds of his people to launch a great petition and obtain thousands of signatures in favor of the release of our fellow Witnesses from Atlanta! Wonderfully, that release soon came, and with it the Kingdom-preaching work took on new impetus.
Imagine if you will the rejoicing that marked that first big postwar gathering at Cedar Point, Ohio, in 1919. A new work seemed to open up to our view. The articles appearing in that year’s issues of The Watch Tower all seemed to shout out that fact: “Kingdom of Heaven at Hand,” “Kingdom of God,” “Announcing the Kingdom,” and “Heralds of the Kingdom ‘Killed.’” Jehovah was surely girding his people for worldwide action!
MORE BLESSINGS FROM THE UNFAILING SOURCE
As the work at Brooklyn Bethel opened up again I felt that there was where I would like to serve if at all possible. So I wrote to the then president of the Society, J. F. Rutherford, to tell him of my desire. In three months’ time, to my great joy, the answer came. It directed me to come, the sooner the better. Off I went to enter into the greatest privilege—that of serving in the house of the Lord. As I did so I determined to continue at this post of service as long as Jehovah saw fit to use my limited abilities. And, with many others, I am still here.
Cleanliness, orderliness, punctuality—these were all fine qualities I saw practiced at the Bethel Home, qualities I soon appreciated and benefited from. Regular morning discussion of a Bible text for the day and our regular weekly Watch Tower study kept us strong spiritually so that we could overcome even physical weaknesses and handicaps and keep right on with services that are so vital to our fellow Witnesses all around the earth.
R. J. Martin, our overseer, used to be so encouraging and kind, urging us to serve well and let joy be our strength. He would say: “There are lots of people making beds, washing dishes, ironing shirts, but why are we doing it?” And, considering that I weighed only 110 pounds and yet was able to iron eighty shirts a day, folding them and pinning them on cardboard for delivery, I felt that the joy of the Lord was indeed my strength.—Neh. 8:10.
Over the years I can recall but few sick days. Indeed, this was noticeable with so many others at Bethel. For example, the brother in charge of the kitchen, who has been on the job for well over forty years, has never been late with the meals that I can remember. And so it has been in other departments—everyone doing his work gladly and efficiently.
Then, in 1926, came another change in my life. Brother John Bogard and I were married. Since we were both already members of the Bethel family, we now combined our efforts to serve and honor our God. John would be sent out on many speaking assignments on the weekends so we obtained a small car and I had the privilege of going along. This proved to be a nice change and gave us opportunity to make many new friends, while we enjoyed covering a variety of territories with the Kingdom message.
In 1937 we had another change of scene, for we were assigned to serve at the Society’s farm near Ithaca, New York. That meant change of work for me as well as for John. Bookkeeping and other duties kept me busy. A quieter life? Yes, until that time in 1939 when a fanatical mob came against the farm, bent on destroying it. However, their purpose failed, and some of the very people who made up the mob are now Witnesses themselves, yes, even in the full-time ministry! Jehovah certainly never fails us.
ONLY WITH JEHOVAH’S BACKING
Then an extensive building program began at the farm, where the Watchtower Society planned to locate its Gilead School for those who would be assigned to foreign missionary service. Jehovah purposed that the far-flung missionary fields would not lack those who would be well trained and equipped to serve in them. And we can look back and rejoice that already the 49th class of students are undergoing training, while many who graduated in its first year, 1943, are still diligently serving abroad.
About the time the Gilead School started to function, John and I were transferred back to Brooklyn. We were happy to take up our duties here again. And it was a pleasure to be assigned with one of the Brooklyn congregations where we could share in the house-to-house ministry and the development of Bible studies in the homes of interested ones. We have been happy to bring a host of people to their first meeting at the Kingdom Hall and then see them grow in faith and join us in the precious Kingdom work.
We have experienced these many changes with a great deal of joy. True, there have been trying times and hard experiences to cope with. But by taking our little troubles to Jehovah we have had our loads lightened. It has never failed. Even when some complained or worried about who would look after them in their old age and went so far as to leave Bethel and God’s truth, there were always those who, like ourselves, stuck to the decision to remain in Bethel service as long as Jehovah was pleased to use them in that capacity.
In fact, we still see here in Bethel forty or fifty persons over sixty-five years of age, faithfully carrying out their assigned duties. They have their physical infirmities, but in spite of that all their real strength comes marvelously from Him who never fails, for it is the joy of knowing that their service is to the Most High.
All of us elderly ones who have so often seen Jehovah come to the rescue when his people were in difficulties that defied human help can say with aged Joshua: “Not one word out of all the good words [of promise] that Jehovah your God has spoken to you has failed. They have all come true for you. Not one word of them has failed.” (Josh. 23:14) And personally I can say that words fail to express appreciation for the wonderful privilege of service I have enjoyed.