-

I have been reading A Chance to Die by Elizabeth Elliot, an autobiography of Amy Carmichael.
Amy Carmichael, known as one of the great historic missionaries and founder of a fellowship for girls rescued from temple prostitution. She spent fifty years without furlough. She was "Amma", mother.  But that was not the way she had planned it. In her mind she was a missionary. Mothering was not what she had in mind when she answered God's call. And as for a home...well, she had renounced all such earthly comfort. She had given up all thought of having a husband or a home. Then after 5 to 6 years of being an evangelist in India, it happened. God broke her heart for some little girls who in India were considered to "tie the mother's feet". Amy began to see that she must allow her feet to be tied "for the sake of Him whose feet once were nailed". In light of this she wrote:

If Thy dear home be fuller, Lord,
For that a little emptier
My house on earth, what rich reward
That guerdon were.


Elizabeth Eliiot said, "The willingness to sacrifice that springs from a loving heart rather than the desire for spiritual distinction is surely acceptable to God. But as in the case of Abraham's offering of his son Isaac, the sacrifice itself is not always finally required. What is required is obedience."

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Will you drink?

-
Image
     Standing before their relatives who where to be witnesses to this covenant, the young man poured a glass of wine and handed it to the young woman standing beside him saying, " This is my covenant with you." All waited on the edge of their seats. Would she accept it and drink or would she refuse? The young woman reached out with a grand smile and took the cup from his hands then raised it to her lips and drank. She said yes!  So vowing to be faithful, the groom returns to his father's house. There he would prepare a place for his bride to be not knowing the day nor hour his father would say, "Go. Now is the time. Your task has been completed. Meanwhile, the groom sends his groom's-man to be the intercessor between him and his bride. Though, she has not seen him, her heart knows him well. Becoming more like him everyday. She prepares her garment and herself for his coming with great anticipation. At last the father gives his consent and orders his son away...
Read more

No More Plan-B's

-
I've been pondering the life of Abraham. A man whom God calls to leave everything, yet he brings along his "plan-b's". God promises the impossible...And as we often do in our hearts, he laughs at God seeing only through the lens of a man. Over and over he takes the situations into his own hands and often listens to the advice of his closet relationships above God's. Yet God continues to remind Abram of his promise and blessing. He even changes his name to Abraham, meaning the father of nations, before He had fulfilled the promise of one! Finally, after a decade of waiting yet not waiting and suffering the consequences of his "plan-b's", Abraham is given his promise. Had he deserved it? No, but God wanted to show Abraham who He was. Fast forward several years...Isaac now a grown man. God tells Abraham to offer his one-and-only son, who he loved so dearly, as a sacrifice of worship to the Lord. For the first time we see Abraham surrenders his will an...
Read more
-
A ugust began a new chapter for me here in Leticia. I began alternating teaching English one week with teaching a physical activity such as art, embroidery, sewing, exercise, etc. the next. For the most part my weekly schedule is teaching the tutors Monday morning and planning me week's lesson for the kids; On Tuesday I do my grocery shopping, work on updating the info for the each child's sponsor, and doing whatever else there is to do. Wednesday I teach Group 1 with ages ranging from kinder garden to third grade; Thursday I teach Group 2(4th-5th grade) and Group 3 and 4(middle and high schoolers) on Friday. On Wednesday nights I sometimes attend a small Bible study in a home with people from my church, otherwise I head home by 5pm to make dinner, read, and watch the news. Friday and Sunday night I gather with the church for a time of prayer, worship, and study....I so look forward to this time during the week! I love ending my week in worship a...
Read more