Walk a Little Closer

Some books surprise you, they jump into your heart, make a home and start to become a part of you.  I was surprised by the roots Amy Carmichael by Sam Wellman grew in my heart.  It wasn't the beauty of the writing or the well-crafted story, it was the subject.  The beauty of this woman's life took the most labored of writing and brought it to life.  Ms. Carmichael is most commonly known for her missions work in India.  Hers is a story that I have known well and have known since I was a child.  I have read some of her writing and I have read a different biography on her to my children.  But at this moment in my life, her story rang clear and loud.  I related with her desires and her struggles in a way I hadn't before.  Her story not only spoke to me but my children didn't want it to end.  After I had breathed the last word and we sat in the silence,  my 11 year-old boy broke the silence with, "I don't want it to end."  This is a common sentiment for him, but we just spent a month reading about a single woman, who gave her life for Jesus. Yes, there was adventure, but still not the story I expected my kids to connect so deeply with.  We were all surprised.

Amy Carmichael's story is compelling for several reasons.  She gave her life to care for orphans and disenfranchised.  She was a rescuer.  She was fearless.  She knew her limits.  She knew her convictions. She knew how to pull away and sit at the feet of Jesus.  She knew how to work hard and get it done. She was fueled by prayer.  She allowed her heart to be broken for the lost, the hurting, and the wounded.  She loved deeply.  She wrote beautifully.  She mentored me and taught me through her life.

Her thoughts on prayer:
     1. We don't need to explain to our Father things that are known to Him.
     2. We don't need to press Him, as if we had to deal with an unwilling God.
     3. We don't need to suggest to Him what to do for He Himself knows what to do.

Inspired by The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis, Amy Carmichael gathered seven of her India sisters in Christ called "Sisters of the Common Life".  These women encouraged each other in their walk and read the Bible and Christian classics.  They created a creed that they used to remind each other of their mission.  I have come back to this over and over since we finished the book.

My Vow:  Whatsoever Thou sayest unto me, by They grace I will do it. 
My Constraint: Thy love, O Christ, my Lord.
My Confidence: Thou art able to keep that which I have committed unto Thee.
My Joy: To do Thy will, O God.
My Discipline: That which I would not choose, but which Thy love appoints.
My Prayer: Conform my will to thine.
My Motto: Love to live; live to love.
My Portion: The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance.

I leave this woman longing to walk a little closer to my God, longing to breathe his grace a little deeper and to love and rescue His little ones with more ardor.

The Gift of an Ordinary Day by Katrina Kenison

This is a coffee sipping, slow reading book.  This book begs you to sit down and take it slow, to hear her story and ponder your own.  Her words left me inspired and moved.  Being a mother isn't always easy and this mother says it with such grace.  She explores those areas of her heart that aren't ready to let go and brings the reader.  As I read it, I found myself exploring those areas in my heart.  Kenison is full of thoughtful insight and she writes with a deep beauty.  I left this book ready to love more deeply, not just my family but those around me my friends and neighbors,  The cast of characters that make up my life.  I was reminded to be thankful for the ordinary moments that so fleetingly disappear.  I am often conflicted between my role at home and my desire to change the world, the whole world, but Kenison reminded me over and over that it is in embracing my role in my home that I am changing the world.