Trials and David Livingstone

I recently finished a children's biography of David Livingstone. I missed so much as a child by not reading about the faithful men and women of church history! He was really more of a pioneer into the dark interior of Africa than what I think of as a 'typical' missionary, treating sickness and sharing the Gospel along the way, always journeying, drawing maps and seeking to find the right place for a mission station in the interior.

I was surprised to find myself feeling a bit depressed after thinking about this man's immense trials, sorrows, and suffering as he served Christ and strove to advance His kingdom. Part of my problem is probably that this bio was not the most detailed and well-written; I'm motivated to find an adult biography about him with more of his writings included. I think it's also important to be careful to not elevate these faithful 'heroes of the faith' to too high a position; in other words, while there is much to admire and respect, these men were just that: fallible men, who sometimes made bad choices and had sinful responses. David Livingstone was separated from his family for years at a time; sometimes his own young children would not know him when he was able to visit them. This image fills me with such sadness! This is one of the questions of 'right or wrong' I've been mulling. Wasn't his first calling to his wife and children? I know the 'boarding school' approach of missionaries to their children was common in the 19th century. Any thoughts?

After I finished the Livingstone biography, I picked up Spurgeon's 12 Sermons for the Troubled and Tried. This was providential, I know, because God is using this book to challenge my own comfortable ideas about living the Christian life. Here are some parts I've especially been thinking about:

And first, let me say of it, YOUR FAITH WILL BE TRIED SURELY. You may rest assured of that.

Faith is a sound sea-going vessel, and was not meant to lie in dock and perish of dry rot.

Indeed, it is the honour of faith to be tried. Shall any man say, "I have faith, but I have never had to believe under difficulties"? Who knows whether thou hast any faith? Shall a man say, "I have great faith in God, but I have never had to use it in anything more than the ordinary affairs of life, where I could probably have done without it as well as with it"? Is this to the honour and praise of thy faith? Dost thou think that such a faith as this will bring any great glory to God, or bring to thee any great reward? If so, thou art mightily mistaken. He that has tested God, and whom God has tested, is the man that shall have it said of him, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

exerpts from 'The Trial of Your Faith', part I

I could keep quoting and quoting, this is such an excellent sermon! I think I've been overlooking a treasure by not reading Spurgeon before. So, I'll keep reading and seeking the Lord and asking Him to make me rejoice in my sufferings because of the growth and perseverance they give, instead of praying for God to protect me from them.

More on George Mueller

The kids and I are almost finished reading a biography of George Mueller's life in preparation for the play we're putting on with our homeschool co-op. Yesterday we read that Charles Dickens once visited the orphanage at Ashley Downs. He'd heard rumors that the orphanage was a terrible place where the children were treated like slaves and decided to investigate. George Mueller gave Mr. Dickens a set of keys and sent him off with an assistant, who was told to open any door that Mr. Dickens requested. Three hours later, the assistant returned with Charles Dickens, who was so satisfied and impressed with what he saw that he promised to write an article for publication to help dispel the false rumors.

At one point, when the orphanage was in need of yet another expansion, Mueller wrote in his journal:

"The greatness of the sum required affords me a kind of secret joy; for the greater the difficulty to be overcome, the more will it be seen to the glory of God how much can be done by prayer and faith."

The kids and I have really enjoyed reading YWAM missionary biographies aloud together. I highly recommend them.

George Mueller

I'm so excited to be teaching Drama class at our home school co-op this semester. We're beginning to work on a play about the mid-19th century evangelist and missionary to children in England, George Mueller. I absolutely love to hear accounts about faithful saints of the past, and am praying that the children will be impacted by this godly man's example.

It ill becomes the servant to seek to be rich, and great, and honoured in that world where his Lord was poor, and mean, and despised.
--George Mueller

Hello? Is Anyone There?

Anyone still reading The Life and Diary of David Brainerd? I still have about a fifth of the book to go. I jotted these thoughts down the other day, after reading about DB's death:

I think: What a life well-lived! He used his "dash" (It's been said that all we get is a dash between two dates) wholly for Christ--even on the agony of his death-bed. This book has not always been easy to read or enjoyable, even, but it has been solidly encouraging. DB's example is so high and praiseworthy, we should think on it and be sharpened and encouraged.

Book Discussion 1

Okay, ladies. Tell me the truth. What do you think of The Life and Diary of David Brainerd so far? I am in part IV of the book, and several things have come to mind thus far.

1. I am a very lazy reader. The flowery and antiquated language in this book requires discipline for me to focus on.

2. I don't quite know what to make of Brianerd's 'melancholy'. Is this depression, or was this man so aware of his own sinfulness that it practically paralyzed him at times? Should we be more like this? I'm wrestling with this one...I know I don't see my own heart as it truly is: wicked and sinful apart from the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. But, I don't think that God's desire is for us (Christians) to be so focused on our own wickedness so as to be in almost constant turmoil and despair. I want your thoughts on this. I'm not sure what to make of it. Comment away!

Nate Saint

I finished reading the YWAM biography of Nate Saint to the kids on Sunday. I really love reading these as much as the kids love to listen to them...maybe more! This series presents the missionaries as real people who love(d) God, not 'spiritual giants' who we can never attain to. I hope and pray that God will move in the hearts of my children to give them a passion to serve God wherever He calls them; be it in the home or in a 'normal' vocation, or in the mission field of a suburban neighborhood...or overseas. In high school I remember singing a song in a summer singing/touring group called, 'Please Don't Send me to Africa'. It was a funny song, and I am positive that the message ended up being about being willing to serve Christ wherever He calls. But all I remember is 'Please don't send me to Africa. I don't like lions, or tigers, or bears....' This is not the picture I want the kids to have--a negative and resistant attitude to anything that threatens our personal comfort. God tells us that loving Him equals obedience to His Word. We can say we love Him, but our disobedience shows Him that really, we don't. Convicting.

Once again I wasn't able to get through the ending of the Nate Saint book without tears. The kids always look at me kind of funny when I cry over a book (be it about a martyr or Laura Ingalls!), so I tried to help them understand that this man was somebody's real Daddy, somebody's real son and brother.

I think next we'll read The Hiding Place, one of my all-time favorite books.

Thanksgiving thoughts

Well, I can hardly believe that this week is Thanksgiving! Where has the time gone? I seem to ask myself that question a lot. Kevin's Mom, and sister Mandy, her fun husband Craig, and their two sweet kids will be here on Wednesday. I plan on cleaning tomorrow and start baking all those pies. It's tradition: We have to go completely overboard with the pies every year!

Today is unseasonably warm--around 75 degrees, I think, so I am forcing the kids to stay outside and play for a while. I told them that it's supposed to snow on Thursday and it may be months before we see another day like this, so they have to play just a little longer before the little girls' nap time.

The kids and I finished reading a biography about Gladys Aylward last week. God has really brought it to mind a lot, using her example to encourage and correct me when I tend toward complaining thoughts and attitudes. If you were like me and totally unfamiliar with this amazing lady's life, I will give you a quick synopsis. Gladys was born in England and as a young woman had a desire to be a missionary to the people of China. She failed out of Bible school, and was discouraged by the Mission Board from trying to do mission work; she was actually told that she was more suited to being a housekeeper. Nevertheless, she worked and saved, and bought a train ticket with the intent of locating an American woman doing mission work in China, and becoming her housekeeper. This is getting long, so I will summarize. Gladys almost starved to death, froze to death, nearly escaped being raped and abducted, and ran out of money, all before ever finding the lady she'd come in search of. When she finally did find the missionary, Gladys was disappointed to find not a motherly, kind, gentle lady to serve alongside, but a tough, critical woman who was anything but motherly. And this is only the beginning of her amazing story. My summary is way too long, so I recommend that you read the book yourself!

So, what struck me over the past few days was that I was tempted to focus on how tired I felt (just reading about Gladys' life makes me weary, yet she continued on in faithful service), or how some days I feel like a washerwoman (Gladys had no biological children of her own, but ended up caring for close to 200 children who were orphaned by war--and that is 200 at one time), or other self-focused thoughts, I kept marveling at how wimpy and pampered I am! I have and AMAZING life full of comforts and conveniences, and yet I still tend to complain and be negative in my heart! I have to ask God to forgive me and continue to change my focus: off of myself, and onto Him and the others that I am here to serve and love.

Have a wonderful, blessed Thanksgiving, keeping your eyes on the Cross and our Precious Savior.