The Family Altar (1956)

[Music] This is just a little something that we're giving to some friends of ours. It isn't for any special occasion. It's just that they are interested in this book because of something special that happened to them. Before I tell you about this book, I'd like to tell you how come we're giving it to them. Carl, you all through death. Oh, yes. Thanks, Pet. Wants to do anything else, Mom? No, boys. Thank you. You run along. See you later. Hey, Mom. See you later. Oh, I guess I should be getting along, too. You're sure now you won't leave me at the store? Oh, no, Grandpa. It'll probably be a slow day. Anyway, Smitty will be on deck. Well, that's good. You know, there's a lot of work around the yard I'd like to get done. Well, Earl and Sy, well, when did you get back? Late last night. Welcome back. How was the vacation? Great. We sure covered a lot of ground. And how did you like Texas, Susie? Swell. We even went to Mexico. Mexico? Yeah. So, we went across the water. You know, just the usual tourist stuff. How's Rita? Fine. She's still unpacking. Say, I want to thank you folks for looking after our house while we were gone. Oh, glad to do it. Now, you're going to have to go back to work, aren't you? Not for another 4 days. As a matter of fact, we decided to drive up to Star Lake this afternoon to get in a couple of days fishing. Oh, Earl, that reminds me. Did I ever tell you about the time I caught the 4-PB bass up at Moon Bay? Yes, Grandpa. We all heard about it, and I've got to get to work. Well, I'll see you later, Earl. Good to have you back. Bye. Come on, Susie. Mother will be wondering where we are. Thanks again, folks. See you later. You're welcome. Mexico. Sure wish we could go someplace. Don't worry, Anna. You have your family and your dishes. Hi, Grandpa Fisher. Oh, Earl. Say, I was wondering if I could borrow that fancy casting plug of yours. Well, sure. When are you leaving? Soon as I get packed. Unless my wife's got some more errands for me to run. Come on in. I'll get it for you. Oh, well. Uh-oh. Here we go again. Well, where are the groceries, dear? Right here. Let's see. Hello, Grandpa Fisher. Hello, Rita. How are you? Fine, thanks. Well, dear, you all set to go fishing? Well, I don't think Susie and I better go. Why not? Well, she acts if she's coming down with a cold. No, I think I better keep her home and let her rest up. Well, then I guess it's all off. Why don't you go on without us? You're the one who wanted to do the fishing anyway. She was only gone to keep me company. Maybe Grandpa Fisher would go with you. Well, you excuse me. I have to get lunch. Why certainly, Ra? How about it, could you? Well, I uh Oh, come on. Forget about the fence. We'll do some real fishing. Maybe I could at that. It's all settled. We'll leave in an hour. [Music] Hello, M. Hello, Rita. Come on in. Oh, I can't. I only have a minute. Oh, how Susie? Well, she doesn't seem to be any better. I've put her to bed. Well, that's the best way to break up a cold. Anna, I have to run down to the store a minute and I wonder if you'd mind keeping an eye on the house. Of course, be glad to. Oh, thanks. Oh, and by the way, may I have the recipe for that special fish sauce of Grandpa's? You're optimistic. You must think they're going to bring back some fish. Well, if it were just Earl, no, but with Grandpa along. Yes, I think they will. Well, if they're going to be gone for three whole days, they ought to catch something. Well, I'll have it ready for you when you come back from the store. Thanks, Eva. You might bring home some ice cream tonight, Carl. We can have it with the cake. Oh, I don't care. Any kind you like. Hey, Mom. They're here. Grandpa and Earl just drove in. Hi, Grandpa. Hello, Freddy. Did you catch any fish? Of course we did. Here, have a look. Where are the other folks? Freddy, don't they want to see the catch we got? Well, maybe they think we didn't get any. Boy, what a rapper. Freddy, you should have seen the ones that got away. Oh, you always say that, Grandpa. Hey, where is everybody? Mr. Johnson, what's wrong? I'm afraid you've got a very sick little girl. What is it? Smallox. Smallox? Yeah. It can't be. She's been vaccinated. Regardless, Earl, she's got it. How bad is it? Well, it's too early to tell yet. I'm sorry, Earl. You can't go in there. Why not? I've been vaccinated. As an officer of the board of health, I've got to quarantine the house, and if you go in, you'll have to stay in. What about Rita? She's been directly exposed, so I'm quarantining her, too. But there's really nothing you can do by going in. So there's no sense in exposing yourself to it. Earl, I'm terribly sorry. Me too, Mr. Mer. I just can't believe it. I'll have to vaccinate you again, Earl. Have any of you folks been near Susie in the last few days? I'm afraid so. Then I'll have to vaccinate you, too. Excuse me while I get the quarantine sign out of my car. If there's anything we can do, I can't understand it. Neither can I. I haven't heard of a case of smallox and Middberg for years. [Music] Couldn't I at least go in and get some clothes? Definitely not. Nothing must come out of the house. And remember, if you do go in, you can't come out until this sign's been removed. Now, don't worry, Earl. I'll call you tomorrow. [Music] What am I going to do? Why don't you stay with us? Emily's away, and I'm sure Anna and Carl will be glad to let you have her room. Thanks, Brandon. More coffee, Ariel. No thanks. If only I hadn't taken her on that trip. Earl, you can't go on blaming yourself for things like that. Oh, I know, Freddy. Earl, maybe since Susie was vaccinated, her case won't be so serious. I hope you're right. Thank you, Freddy. We've been reading from the family altar each evening. Tonight it's uh John 3:16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. We can never sufficiently thank God for the healing streams of comfort and courage which have come into our lives through the divine assurance of this jewel of the scriptures. When trials beset us, when doubts assail us, when our faith would break beneath the burden of the strain, let us find comfort, strength, and reassurance in the knowledge of God's love revealed to us through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Oh, is that the Peterson autograph? Yes. Wrap this with it, will you? All right. Earl, what are you doing here this time of day? I thought you'd gone back to work. No, I've got to take a little extra vacation. My boss gave me a few days off. Seems he's squeamish about smallpox. I can see how some people would feel that way. Well, you can't blame him. Now, at least I can move back into my house and be with my family. Wait a minute, Earl. What's the use of exposing yourself? Yes. Supposing you catch it, too. Besides, what can you do to help? At least now you can run errands. Perita. Yeah, but now that I can't work, I'll go crazy hanging around without anything to do. Wouldn't you be just as bad off inside your own house as outside of it? Guess you're right. There must be plenty of things you've never had time for. You'd like to do now? Yeah, Susie's been after me a long time to make her some play furniture. Say, maybe I could use your workshop and borrow some of your tools. Why, yes, of course you can. You should find everything you need there. Make yourself at home. It's about time somebody use those tools before they get all rusty. You need some other clothes. There's no sense in buying any. I'll let you have some of mine. Thanks. I sure appreciate all you folks are doing. Well, I better get started. See you dinner. Okay. How's she doing, dear? Oh, about the same. She's asleep right now. Here's the first piece. Oh, it looks swell. She'll be tickled when she sees it. Are you making the table, too? No. I've got another idea. You know that playhouse she's always wanted? Yes. Well, I thought I'd start on it now. Build it out by the garage where she can see it from the window. That'd be wonderful, Earl. I'll begin tomorrow. Fine. Anything you need, dear? No, I guess not. But I guess I better hurry up to Susie. Goodbye, dear. Bye. [Music] Oh, Grandpa Fischer, you startled me. Didn't know you were there. Sorry, Earl. You're doing a fine job. Has Susie seen it yet? Not yet. Rita says Susie hasn't been able to raise her head off the pillow to look out the window. Well, at least she knows you're working on it. Let alone ought to do her a lot of good. Yeah, but I keep thinking she's wanted this playhouse for almost a year. I kept putting it off. One thing and another. [Music] Now, Earl, sometimes it's best just to let the good Lord do some of our worry. That's right. [Music] Hello, Earl. How's Susie? Her temperature's up. I guess the next 48 hours are going to be rough. I'm worried about Rita, too. She's exhausted. Why don't you go to bed and try to get some sleep? Yeah. Well, good night. Good night, Erin. Good night. Good night. [Music] [Music] [Applause] Rita, what's the matter? Convulsions? Why didn't you call me? Yeah, I saw him drive up. Is there anything I can do? I'll take it easy, dear. She'll be all right. Don't be afraid. I'll be on the front porch if you want me. What's the matter? Susie's having convulsions. [Music] I never felt so helpless in my life. Come on, Earl. Sit down. If there was only something I could do. There is Earl. Something you must do. What is it? Stop trying to carry everything on your own shoulders and let God take over. Oh, it sounds easy when you hear Pastor Martin say those things in church. But when it happens to your own, you begin to wonder. All the wondering in the world doesn't change the fact that our lives are in God's hands. I know what you're trying to tell me, Carl, but Well, that's my daughter in there. I It's hard. Well, I think I can safely say she's in no immediate danger. God. However, just as a precautionary measure, I've ordered some oxygen. Well, where do I go? I'll get it. Take it easy. It's already on its way. Why don't you two go back to bed? There isn't anything you can do. [Music] [Music] I'm sorry. I couldn't do justice to your dinner. Hannah, I hope you'll understand. Of course. It's perfectly all right. Ready? Now, let me see. This is Thursday, isn't it? Mhm. Yep. Devotion this evening is based on the words of Jesus. Your father knoweth that ye have need of these things. your father. What a tender touch these words give to the reassuring words of Jesus. He had just pointed out to his disciples that the flowers of the field and the birds of the air were evidences of God's providing care and he had cautioned them against undue anxiety over the inevitable needs of tomorrow. Do not give way to faithless fear, he says. Your father knoweth that ye have need of these things. The weary child at the close of day will often confide his wants and needs to his earthly father and then drift off into peaceful slumber. It is enough that father knows. His love will find a way to satisfy tomorrow's needs. If only father knows. Our heavenly father knows our every want and wish. and he is able and willing to provide abundantly. The Bible tells us, "He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" There's no need in our life, however great or small, that God does not know, and which he will not fill if it be for our highest good. Why should we be afraid of tomorrow and its needs? He whose eye is on the sparrow will surely care for those who have become his own through faith in Jesus Christ their savior. Let us give thanks unto the Lord for he is good and his mercy endures forever. Amen. Excuse me. [Music] Sometimes is hard to understand the wise of everything. Isn't it Earl? Grandpa, I'm afraid I know what you're going through. I remember when Carl was only six. He had typhoid. And the only thing that kept us going was our faith in God's love and wisdom. and our belief that if we laid our fears at his feet, he'd trade us courage for them. He did, Earl. And it's been that way all through my life. Whenever I've needed God's steadying hand, it's always been there. You might wonder why things like this happen. Well, the reasons are God's, not ours. Our place in God's plan is very clear. We must do what we can and then trust in him. But by fearing, we're only doubting God and his love for us. Or have you really begun to doubt that God is concerned about what happens to us? [Music] I don't know, Grandpa. I don't know. [Music] Earl, did you hear what Carl read at the supper table? Don't you think that if you're a good enough father to go to all this work for Susie and to be so concerned about her that our heavenly father must be just as concerned? I suppose so. Earl, as Christians, we can never lose faith in God's love for us because he's proved that to us once and for always. We've just got to believe him. And remember, Earl, you're the father of that little [Music] girl. But God is the father of you both. Good morning everybody. Good morning. Morning Gramps. Want some coffee now, Dad? Oh, thanks, Peter. How about you, Gramps? Why, of course. Where's Earl? Well, we were wondering whether we ought to wake him up. I kind of hate to. We heard him pacing most of the night. Well, I sure hope he snaps out of it. Say, Dad, why won't Mr. Miller finish the playhouse. That's rather a hard question to answer, son. Anybody hear how Susie is this morning? No. Anything else you want me to do, Mom? Get the milk off the porch, please. Sure. Hey, come here. Look. What is it? Ready? What is it? I'll get him. Good morning, Earl. Oh, good morning, Carl. Breakfast is ready. Be right there. You surprised us. We didn't know you were up. Well, I wanted to get an early start. I kind of lost a few days there somehow. I'll tell you what, after breakfast, I'll come back and help you. Thanks, but I sort of like to finish this myself. All right, but hurry [Music] along. Yes, sir. Earl finished the playhouse. All right. As a matter of fact, Anna tells me that Susie played in it this afternoon for the first time. Oh, yes. You're wondering what this whole story has to do with this book. Well, a day or two after the quarantine sign was taken down, Earl came over to thank us for everything we'd done for them, but most of all for the comfort and the strength he'd got from our family altar. And did we feel good when he told us that they'd like to begin holding devotions themselves every evening at the supper table? And so that's why we're sending them this book. And I'm sure that Earl is going to find what millions have already found. That family alters make altered families. Yes, Serene. [Music]