May/June 2002

ISSN 8756-1336

Amy Carmichael,
Gods Missionary
As an old woman I find myself often in a quiet In the providence of God she went then to
reverie, pondering the countless blessings of my South India, where, as an itinerant evangelist,
long life, and marveling at the way the Lord God she soon discovered the evils of the Hindu tem-
has led me. I think very often of my lovely ples where little girls and boys were used in
mother, who sang to usJesus, tender Shepherd unspeakably wicked ways. At first she could not
hear me, and I went to visit a friend one day, believe such treatment of innocent children but
and of my earnest father, who taught us the soon discovered that things were far worse than
great hymns of the faith such as Great Is Thy she had imagined. She prayed earnestly for their
Faithfulness and It Is Well With My Soul. deliverance and was able, over some fifty years,
We six Howard children were well acquainted to make a home for many of these children.
with missionaries. My little brother once noted She wrote, I would never urge one to come
that suitcases are forever bumping up and to the heathen unless he felt the burden for
down the stairs, as our parents managed to souls and the Masters call, but oh! I wonder so
keep an open home even during the Great few do. It does cost something. Satan is tenfold
Depression. We were often held spellbound at more of a reality to me today than he was in
the dinner table, listening to missionary stories. England, and very keenly that awful home-longing
I remember Mr. L.L. Legters telling of his years cuts through and through one sometimesbut
in Mexico, translating the Bible for illiterate there is a strange deep joy in being here with Jesus.
Indians, and Miss Helen Yost, a delightful red- Praising helps more than anything. Sometimes
head who worked for years alone with American the temptation is to give way and go in for a reg-
Indians in Arizona and New Mexico. We loved ular spell of homesickness and be of no good to
the thrilling and scary storiesSir Alexander anybody. Then you feel the home prayers, and
Clark (knighted by Queen Elizabeth) told of his they help you to begin straight off and sing,
being treed by a Cape buffalo, said to be the Glory, glory, Hallelujah, and you find your cup
fiercest animal in Africa. For hours he sat in the is ready to overflow again after all.
tree as the buffalo circled the trunk, looking She wrote fifty or more books and stayed in
balefully at his prey, and seeming to say, Come India without a furlough until she died.
down! Ive forgotten how long the missionary In my study here at home I have nearly two
had to cling until the animal sauntered away. shelves full of Amy Carmichaels books, most of
When I was fourteen I learned of an Irish them bound in blue cloth with beautiful sepia-
missionary named Amy Carmichael whom I toned photographs of the picturesque Dohnavur
never meta down-to-earth mystic whose beau- compounds and the happy little childrenfew of
tiful writings captivated my imagination. She whom can have any notion of what would have
had gone first to Japan, where in her room she been their fate had the Lord not sent them to this
had two words written on the wall: Yes, Lord. place of safety, quietness, and overflowing love.
 There was a time when a gift of healing was words of David found in 2 Samuel 7:22, How
given. Soon there was a buzz of talk, and colored great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one
stories flew all over the countrysideA place of like you, and there is no God but you.
healing! Miracles! Come, let us see! For still the
multitude loves a spectacle. . . . There was a day
when we asked Him, if He willed it so, to give Lean Hard
us the gift, the charism, that had been in apos-
tolic times. Would it not glorify His Name? Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall
Though we did see a putting forth of power, sustain thee (Psalm 55:22).
there was not anything comparable to the heal-
ing of the first century. The charism was not Child of My love, lean hard,
given. Why was that most blessed gift not given And let Me feel the pressure of thy care;
in its fullness? I know thy burden, child, I shaped it;
We know not what we should pray for as we Poised it in My own hand, made no proportion
ought. Not our poor thoughts, but the counsels in its weight to thine unaided strength;
of the Holy One be our guide. For even as I laid it on, I said
Amy Carmichael (Amma to her children) has I shall be near, and while he leans on Me,
been with the Lord for many years, but her work This burden shall be Mine, not his;
goes on, reaching little children who without So shall I keep My child within the circling
her vision would surely have perished. My arms of My own love.
husband Lars and I had the privilege of visiting Here lay it down, nor fear to impose it on a
Dohnavur some years agoa lovely place of shoulder which upholds the government of
order, quietness and, of course, much joy and worlds.
laughter among the children. The single women Yet closer come; thou art not near enough;
who care for them in the bungalows are called I would embrace thy care so I might feel My
Accals. They have given themselves unreservedly child reposing on My breast.
for the care of the children. Thou lovest Me? I know it. Doubt not then;
A letter I received from Dohnavur a year or so But, loving Me, Lean Hard.
ago made me think of the mountains to the May Prentiss Smith
west of a place called Three Pavilions, a con-
stant reminder of Isaiah 54:10, Though the
mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken for you (1 Peter 5:7).
nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the
Lord, who has compassion on you. The practi-
Up to 100 copies of an article may be made for private distribution but not
cal truth of those words has been seen as God for resale. Please cite full credit as given below. For permission to make
meets all physical needs and Dohnavur experi- more than 100 copies of an article, please write to the newsletter.

ences His loving-kindness in countless ways. 2002 by Elisabeth Elliot Gren

This was their testimony as they entered into The Elisabeth Elliot Newsletter is published six times a year by Servant
Publications. The cost is $7.00 per year. Tax-deductible donations make it
the 100th year of the mission. I am sure Amma possible for those who are unable to pay to receive the letter free. Please
and all her colleagues now in glory (as well as send donations to The Elisabeth Elliot Newsletter, P.O. Box 7711, Ann
Arbor, Michigan 48107-7711. Foreign subscribers: Please send donations in
some still with us on earth) would echo the U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank.
The Presence of God ing instead of filing complaints that fall on
defensive (if not deaf) ears. The Lord is more
A sense of the presence of God is a rare gift. If than able and willing to meet the needs I wrongly
given and then withdrawn, we examine our- thought my husband should fulfill, and while I
selves, seeking the reason within. This numb- was never a nagger, I have learned how effective
ness sets alight a longing for His felt presence. it is to pray and tell the Lord about my husband
This is how faith is established! Believe what troubles, and let Him intercede for me.
cannot be seen or felt. Rely on what cant be
grasped. The realization of faults, inadequacy,
inferiority to others, is Gods way of forcing our A Word From the Book of James
dependence on Him. He planned it that way.
We wish for pure religion, feeling near to Dear brothers, is your life full of difficulties
God, praying without distractions, enjoying and temptations? Then be happy, for when the
quiet timebut it doesnt always work that way way is rough your patience has a chance to
for long. Action clears and deepens spiritual grow. So let it grow, and dont try to squirm out
affections. of your problems. For when your patience is
Dont strain to summon holy thoughts or finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for
feelings. Dont tell yourself you could be much anything, strong in character, full and complete.
more spiritual if you were somewhere else! If you want to know what God wants you to
Stay home, set your house in order, do the do, ask him and he will gladly tell you, for he
next thing. is always ready to give a bountiful supply of
The taking up of the cross of Christ is no wisdom to all who ask him; he will not resent
great action done once for all; it consists in the it. But when you ask him, be sure that you really
continual practice of small duties which are dis- expect him to tell you, for a doubtful mind will
tasteful to us. be as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is
John Henry Newman driven and tossed by the wind; and every deci-
sion you then make will be uncertain, as you
turn first this way, and then that. If you dont
If Only ask in faith, dont expect the Lord to give you
any solid answer.
Over the years I have heard from women a good A Christian who doesnt amount to much in
many if onlysIf only I werent married to this world should be glad, for he is great in the
him; If only I were married to him! If only Lords sight. But a rich man should be glad that
Id had a husband like hers! If only he would his riches mean nothing to the Lord, for he will
try to understand me! If only he would talk to soon be gone, like a flower that has lost its
me! If only hed help me with the children beauty and fades away, witheredkilled by the
Ive been beside myself all day, but what does he scorching summer sun. So it is with rich men.
do when he gets home? Flops down in front of They will soon die and leave behind all their
the TV, picks up the newspaper, doesnt talk to busy activities.
the children, asks me to bring him a drink, etc. James 1:2-11
I was glad to receive this letter: Ive learned The Living Bible
to handle my marriage and my husband by pray-
 the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righ-
The Comforter, the Holy Spirit teous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45). And
upon whom does his light not rise? (Job 25:3).
In all places and at all times, we can have that Because he is kind to the ungrateful and
familiar friendship, we can have Him with us; wicked . . . be merciful, just as your Father is
and there may be through the day a constant merciful (Luke 6:35b-36).
interchange of private words, of little offerings,
too small to have any name attached to them
by which the bonds of that familiar friendship Orthodox Prayer
grow closer and more real, until it comes to that
special personal intimacy, which we call sanctity. O Lord, grant me to greet the coming day in
Janet Erskine Stuart, 1857-1914 peace.
Help me in all things to rely upon Your Holy
will.
Just and Unjust In every hour of the day reveal Your will to me.
Bless my dealings with all who surround me.
It is true that God seems to bless all sorts of Teach me to treat all that comes to me with
ministry, whether or not it was conducted in peace of soul and with firm conviction that
His way. Many receive Christ under the min- Your will governs all.
istry of someone who is far from holy. When Grant me strength in unforeseen events. Let me
Moses was told to speak to the rock, he struck not forget that all are sent by You.
the rock instead. He disobeyed God (and paid a Teach me to act lovingly, firmly, and wisely,
high price for that later) but he got the desired without embittering or embarrassing others.
resultsthe water gushed from the rock. God Grant me strength to bear the fatigues of the
did not deprive His people of the water they needed coming day with all that it shall bring.
just because it was gotten in the wrong way. Direct my will. Teach me to pray. Pray You
Nevertheless, results do not validate the Yourself in me.
method. Its just that He causes his sun to rise on Amen.

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