Who's your favorite missionary? I can't really decide for myself but among my favorite are Amy Carmichael, Lottie Moon, and Adoniram and Anne Judson. The current one uppermost in my mind is Gladys Aylward. She was a small but hardy woman who did mighty feats for the Lord in harvesting souls for Christ in China.
She grew to be less than 5 feet tall (roughly 152 cm). God looked forward and knew she was going to devote most of her life to Him among the Chinese who were, generaly speaking, not exceptionally tall people of stature.
Let's start this story with her being back in England. She was a typical young person who was full of energy to dance and have fun with her friends. One night though, by God's divine plan, she ended up in a church, of all places! She'd been on her way to yet another dance, definitely NOT a gospel meeting in a church!
It was God's bombshell on her life, She got converted body, soul and spirit that night and never went to another dance! Somewhere, later along the line, she heard about the millions of harassed and helpless souls in China who were perishing.
In great anxiety for this harvest field, Gladys went about seeking those she thought would be "good enough" to go. That is, men who were well-educated and of some wealth. She even challenged her own brother. In the end, her brother got so annoyed by her insistence that he go, that he barked, "If you are so concerned about them, why don't YOU go!?"
Oh, that took her back a peg or two. Never in all her foggiest or clearest of thoughts did she believe she could go! She was "only a maid." She wasn't so good academically and she barely had two coppers to rub together AND she was short! These are all not in her favor, so she thought.
Nevertheless, she did try to prepare herself to go. Alas, one missionary society told her she wasn't fit to go. However, she'd heard the call of Jesus say, "Follow Me!" and, "GO!" "Go to China", she believed.
The result was, she worked and worked in her maid capactiy, earning enough for a train ticket from England to China (yes, she must have gotten a ship across the English Channel). Finally, the day arrived and off she went.
Of course, it was not smooth going as her route took her through territory at war. After some scary and dangerous difficulties, some good Samaritans helped her escape by boat and she eventually got to Yangcheng, China in more or less one piece, albeit somewhat disshevelled. On top of all that she did not speak Chinese.
In Gladys' heart of gold, though, God was with her and because she had been willing to go He helped her. She found her way to an older missionary lady, Jenny Lawson and the two operated an inn called, The Inn of Sixth Happiness. They targeted muleteers on their way to trade in the town.
While the muleteers ate in the Inn, Jenny would tell them Bible Stories. Gladys did eventually come to speak Chinese but it was rough going at first. She was well satisfied though that she was helping to save the Chinese millions from perishing. She was one of the harvesters in God's harvest field in the land of plentiful ready harvest.
I want to interject again, that because Gladys was willing to go, God helped her and she accomplish much for Him and the people of China. The verse from Zechariah 4:6 comes to mind,
"'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD almighty" (NIV).
Thinking back to what Jesus did in His walk upon Earth, there was a two-pronged agenda. One was to address those who
"had many diseases and every affliction" (Matthew 9:35 ESV).He healed them.
"proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom..." (Matthew 9:35 ESV),
to all the
"harassed and helpless" (Matthew 9:36 ESV).
Physical and spiritual healing took place. The trailblazing Jesus left a marvelous wake in His path as He forged forward, determind to complete His mission. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we can do no less. Have you heard the Savior say, "Come, follow Me!"?
What is your answer?
Gladys Aylward's was a firm, "Yes!" and she put her talk into walking action. What beautiful feet she must have had as the number of her footprints chalked up as she too, visited one Chinese town to village after another.
You see, the Mandarin (headman) of Yangcheng got her to enforce the new law which forbade the cruel and painful practice of foot-binding of young girls. Gladys gladly did the job on one condition - she could preach the message of Jesus as she went place to place with her job. Oh how joyful this made her and the citizens came to love her, giving her the name 'Ai Wei De'. It means "The Virtuous One".
This small but mighty lady was not yet finished with her harvesting. The Japanese invaded China in 1940. Their attacks and bombings left many children orphans, Gladys had already adopted a few children, what was so huge about leading more than 100 children over the treacherous mountains from Yancheng to safety in Xian?
So much for being "unfit"!
We should never be cocky Christians but neither should we underestimate God's powerful help and guidance when we realize we are one of the "helpless" and even if our faith may falter betimes, we need to depend on and cling to God our Rock, Fortress and Deliverer. We will be able to do many might acts in Jesus' name no matter how big or small we may be - this, all because of a willing heart that says, "Here I am, send me!" or "Yes, I will follow," and then put those words into action.
In the ensuing years, Gladys set up orphanages and continued to do good wherever she was planted. Can you see why she is one of my favorite missionaries?
These followers of Jesus Christ from ages past have set the compass for those of us from subsequent generations and milleniums. Jesus started it all, will we continue our leg of the race?
It's somewhat like the track and field relay race, the 4 x 100. This is where there are four sprinters set at equal distances of 100m apart on the track. The lead sprinter holds the baton and runs forward to the second runner, which he will pass forward to him. This second sprinter, goes his 100m to the third, passes the baton forward. The third grabs it and does his 100m gauntlet and passes it on to the fourth, who takes it the last 100m to the finish line.
Each sprinter has done his part in completing the race. Some of the atheletes are faster, some are slower but each has the determination and focus on reaching the end line as soon as possible. In the spiritual realm of gathering God's ripe harvest for the Kingdom of God, every follower of Jesus Christ must do his or her part in fulfilling The Great Commission as Jesus commissioned His disciples to do (Matthew 28:18-20).
This is not only for your own generation. It is imperative to pass the commission baton forward to the next generation and so on. We will never know the extent of Gladys Aylward's planting and harvesting sprint but God knows and that's what counts. It will be the same for us when we are willing to be part of that relay race set out for us. Willingness is the key.
What will you do when you hear Jesus call you to follow Him? How about when He commands, "GO!"?
~ERC February 2023~
Based on Matthew 9:35-38; 28:18-20 Isaiah 6:8 ESV?NIV
Sing, Rescue the Perishing, along with, Islington Baptist Church
Reference: Gladys Aylward.
No comments:
Post a Comment