This week I borrowed Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God from the extensive Cubas library. It's five short-ish biographies of women whose lives have made a difference for the Kingdom of God-- Sarah Edward, Lilias Trotter, Gladys Aylward, Esther Ahn Kim, and Helen Roseveare. Faithful women is a good title, because as I read their stories, I don't feel like they were super-women necessarily. But they were faithful, faithful to God's call on their lives through wars and tragedies and more, and through their faithfulness, God worked miracles.There's so much I want to say about these women, but I know I can't do them justice. I'm reminded again today how much I love reading history. The history of people who lived for God is all the more interesting to me, because beyond history, it's also encouragement for me today, and a reminder of the legacy I want to leave behind at my death. Of all the remarkable stories in this book, I have to share this one that I read this morning from the life of Helen Roseveare:
Opening his Bible at Galatians 2:20, he drew a straight line in the dirt floor with his heel. "I," he said, "the capital I in our lives, Self, is the great enemy.... Helen... the trouble with you is that we can see so much Helen that we cannot see Jesus. I notice that you drink much coffee," he continued... apparently going off on a tangent. "When they bring a mug ... to you ... you stand there holding it, until it is cool enough to drink. May I suggest that every time, as you stand and wait, you should just lift your heart to God and pray..." and as he spoke, he moved his heel in the dirt across the I he had previously drawn, "... Please, God, cross out the I."
There in the dirt was his lesson of simplified theology-- the Cross-- the crossed out I life.... "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20).from Faithful Women & Their Extraordinary God, by Noel Piper (p. 160)
What timing! My women's group at church has been reading this book together, and our last meeting is this Thursday to discuss the life of Helen Roseveare. I read the book several years ago (too quickly) and have benefited so much from reading it a second time, more slowly and with others. I have two more biographies that you must read: Ann Judson and Amy Carmichael. Although Amy Carmichael stresses me out a little bit...I'm not sure I could've been friends with her!
hannah, i grabbed this one off of Grace's shelf in my first or second month in Puerto. It was such an encouraging read, and great food for thought for the rest of my time there. I have been recommending it to folks ever since. Glad you've found it.
What a great reminder--we don't have to be superhuman, just faithful. In fact, that attempt at being super is often what separates us from God--or at least I see that in my life.
Mom