For the eyes of Yahweh roam throughout the earth, to show himself strong for those who are completely his (2 Chronicles 16:9a).
In reading Amy Carmichael's biography, I have come to the part when Amy clearly hears God's command to her to "go." It struck me how Amy was already doing the Lord's work in England, leading a ministry and Bible studies for the factory girls. She was serving the Lord wholeheartedly and it hadn't really occurred to her to "go," but she felt the "cry of the heathen" in her heart. For her, going meant leaving her widowed mother, her spiritual father and mentor, her ministry in England, her brothers and sisters, and probably never coming back. Immense sacrifice.
I particularly like the words of Amy's mother, written in a letter to Amy:
"He who hath led will lead
All through the wilderness,
he who hath fed will surely feed. ...
He who hath heard thy cry
Will never close His ear,
He who hath marked thy faintest sigh
Will not forget thy tear.
He loveth always, faileth never,
So rest on Him today--forever."
I admire Amy's struggle to be willing to sacrifice. I admire her obedience. For me, the thought of one day going overseas again has never involved too much sacrifice. It is more of my preference. Perhaps it would be more of a sacrifice for me to stay here, somewhere in the US. Does the Lord always lead us towards sacrifice? Probably in one way or another, because his heart is that we be matured and sanctified, not satiated by worldly circumstances, but satisfied in him.
P.S. Amy and her family started a family newspaper, and I love that idea as a way of encouraging my future kids to write and think about ideas with each other, and work towards deadlines, but also fun!
In reading Amy Carmichael's biography, I have come to the part when Amy clearly hears God's command to her to "go." It struck me how Amy was already doing the Lord's work in England, leading a ministry and Bible studies for the factory girls. She was serving the Lord wholeheartedly and it hadn't really occurred to her to "go," but she felt the "cry of the heathen" in her heart. For her, going meant leaving her widowed mother, her spiritual father and mentor, her ministry in England, her brothers and sisters, and probably never coming back. Immense sacrifice.
I particularly like the words of Amy's mother, written in a letter to Amy:
"He who hath led will lead
All through the wilderness,
he who hath fed will surely feed. ...
He who hath heard thy cry
Will never close His ear,
He who hath marked thy faintest sigh
Will not forget thy tear.
He loveth always, faileth never,
So rest on Him today--forever."
I admire Amy's struggle to be willing to sacrifice. I admire her obedience. For me, the thought of one day going overseas again has never involved too much sacrifice. It is more of my preference. Perhaps it would be more of a sacrifice for me to stay here, somewhere in the US. Does the Lord always lead us towards sacrifice? Probably in one way or another, because his heart is that we be matured and sanctified, not satiated by worldly circumstances, but satisfied in him.
P.S. Amy and her family started a family newspaper, and I love that idea as a way of encouraging my future kids to write and think about ideas with each other, and work towards deadlines, but also fun!
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