Amy Carmichael was born in Ireland in 1867 and grew up to be a heroine of the faith. She gave 55 years of her life to rescuing babies and children from cult prostitution and abandonment in India until her death at age 83 in 1951. You would think a woman with this kind of accomplishment would have great energy and vision, and she did, but she also struggled with a draining frailty diagnosed at the time as “neuroglia.” In 1931 she was badly injured in a fall that left her bedridden for the next 20 years until her death. 

What intrigues me about Amy Carmichael is how she dealt, worked, and lived with incredible pain and suffering. Despite physical setbacks, she persevered in her faith and work, never giving in to bitterness and doubt. What was her secret? Many years ago, my husband, knowing my interest in Amy, gave me a devotional book she wrote called Rose From Briar. Ruth Graham wrote a description on the back of the volume saying, “Amy was inspired to write this…by reflecting that most books of comfort for sick people are written by the well and so miss their mark. Thus, from her own personal experiences she gathered a priceless treasury of helpful thoughts for those that are ill…and all who suffer.”

The following are Amy's reflections on the “whys” of suffering:
“What then is the answer? I do not know. I believe that is one of the secret things of the Lord, which will not be opened to us till we see Him who endured the Cross, see the scars in His hands and feet and side, see Him our Beloved, face to face…And until then? What does a child do whose (parent) allows something to be done which it cannot understand? There is only one way of peace. The loving child trusts…the faith of the child rests on the character it knows. So may ours; so shall ours. Our Father does not explain…but we know our Father. We know His character. Somehow, somewhere, the wrong must be put right; how we do not know, only we know (Him.)"

“There is only one place where we can receive, not an answer to our questions, but peace — that place is Calvary. 'O Christ beloved, thy Calvary stills all our questions.' Love that loves like that can be trusted about this!”

The following is a poem she wrote further addressing the “whys” of suffering:
“Yet listen now,
Oh, listen with the wondering olive trees,
And the white moon that looked between the leaves,
And gentle earth that shuddered as she felt
Great drops of blood.  All torturing questions find
Answer beneath those old grey olive trees.
There, only there, we can take heart to hope
For all lost lambs – aye, even for ravening wolves.
Oh there are things done in the world today
Would root up faith, but for Gethsemane.
For Calvary interprets human life;
No path of pain but there we meet our Lord;
And all the strain, the terror and the strife
Die down like waves before His peaceful word,
And nowhere but beside the awful Cross,
And where the olives grow along the hill,
Can we accept the unexplained, the loss,
The crushing agony, and hold us still.”

Amy's legacy is a special Easter challenge for me. What unanswered questions in my life do I need to think about under the Cross of Christ?
Rose to Briar – Amy Carmichael  pps 186-191

A legacy is what we leave as a lasting influence long after we are gone. Part of the Easter story involves a legacy of extravagant love left by a woman known as Mary of Bethany. Jesus recognizes and commits to us her legacy when He says, “I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” (Mark 14:9)
           
Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem in the midst of growing threats, betrayal, and certain death when He made a rest stop at the friendly home of Mary and Martha in Bethany. Simon, a leper Jesus had healed, Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead, and of course, His twelve disciples were all there for evening dinner.
           
John tells us Mary interrupted the meal by coming in, breaking an alabaster jar full of expensive perfume, and then pouring it out at Jesus feet. Talk about an awkward moment! Mary’s action was unsettling on many levels. This alabaster jar represented Mary’s future. It was a financial nest egg that could have been worth over $5,000 in today’s terms. It is quite possible family members had contributed from time to time to help provide for her future. Just when you thought things couldn’t get more awkward, she further humbles herself to stoop down and wipe Jesus feet with her hair. By interrupting dinner in this manner Mary had given Jesus her all – her hopes, her dreams, her reputation, and her security. John 12:3 says the house was filled with the fragrance of her devotion.

It is clear from the biblical text very few of the dinner guests understood or appreciated this gift. Judas comments he thinks her extravagant gift is a waste and would better be spent on the poor. This is ironic considering it came from a man whose act of betrayal wastes his life. Even if no one else understood what she had done, Jesus Himself commends and defends her.   The fragrance of her extravagant love not only accompanied Him to the cross but also is remembered and honored to this day.  

When I think about the impact of Mary’s actions on my life, I am challenged to consider what I hold in my "alabaster jar." Am I willing for it to be broken and poured out at the Savior's feet? It takes courage, it will be costly, and probably be misunderstood, but I am sure Mary would say these challenges don’t even compare to the extravagant love and sacrifice Jesus made for us on the Cross.

As I get older, I catch myself longing for the good old days…what ever the “good old days” might have been. We could long for the past because we miss having better health, more optimism, greater opportunities, better relationships, or superior competency.

The longer we live the more likely we are to run up against major challenges and big losses that tend to take the wind out of our idealistic sails. As I was thinking about this I came across a quote from one of Anne Ortlund’s letters addressing the loss of her dear husband Ray, where she quotes Don Piper.*

“Some things happen to us from which we never recover, and they disrupt the normalcy of our lives. That’s how life is. Human nature has a tendency to try and reconstruct the old ways and pick up where we left off. If we’re wise, we won’t continue to go back to the way things were (we can’t anyway). We must instead forget the old standard [although don’t forget the blessings, the loved ones and the lessons learned] and accept a ‘new normal.’”

I like how Anne sums it up when she says, “new day, new ways, love stays.”

As long as we have breath, God has a plan for us and He says it is good. In a very challenging Scripture passage, Paul reminds us we are to “consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus.” He goes on to tell us he is “…straining toward what is ahead, and I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:7-15) I find the next statement from Paul very interesting. He says, “All of us who are mature should take such a view of things.” Wow. That is quite a challenge and forces me to plant my feet forward and adjust my focus by keeping my eyes on Him, not the “good old days.”     

*Piper, Don. 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life. Grand Rapids: Revell, 2004. Print.

Many things are beyond our control, but our responses are not. Hagar’s life illustrates this. Hagar was a single mom whose story is found in Genesis, chapters 16 through 21. The name “Hagar” is thought to mean “fugitive” or “immigrant” and both words describe her. She was the Egyptian slave of Abraham and Sarah.

You may recall God promised to make Abraham father of the nation of Israel and our faith. Ultimately, God planned to make Abraham and Sarah a people of promise – to be a light and a testimony to the pagan world. Hagar represented those outside the Jewish faith and those to whom they should be ministering. As we read this story, we see God had a lot of work to do!

A common practice during the time involved making female slaves surrogate mothers. Sarah was infertile and instead of waiting on God, she took matters into her own hands and manipulated Abraham to sleep with Hagar. Hagar probably had little choice in this, but once she became pregnant, her pride led her to lord it over her mistress. Hagar became insolent and difficult. This was not a wise move for someone with so little power. Sarah made Hagar’s life so miserable Hagar chose to run away. As a single mom with no resources and literally nowhere to go, she fled into the desert.
In an amazing act of love, God meets Hagar in the wilderness. He gives her a promise and reveals that she will have a son and she is to call him “Ishmael,” which means “God hears.” He tells her to go back to Sarah and submit to her. I admire Hagar, because she obeyed God and did a difficult thing by returning to her bitter mistress. I am sure God’s promise encouraged her and Ishmael’s name was a reminder that God sees it all and has a plan.

Sixteen years later Hagar again finds herself in the wilderness, but not by choice. The rivalry and tension between her and her mistress was so intense this time she was kicked out of the home. She finds herself in a wilderness without friends, family, or resources to help. She becomes desperate. Unable to watch her son suffer, she leaves him by himself. But Ishmael lived up to his name and God heard his cries and went to Hagar’s aid. God revealed a nearby well that saved their lives and made a way in the wilderness for the single mom and her son. God heard their cries for help. He had seen their misery and He provided for their needs.

Many today have a story similar to Hagar’s. They may not be slaves, but they are in a position of weakness with no one to stand up for them; no one except God. The same God who was faithful to Hagar and answered the cries of her son in the desert hears our cries today. Just as He said to Hagar in Genesis 21:17, He says to us, “Do not be afraid.” Hagar leaves us a legacy of a God who hears and is faithful to His promises.
 
If you are a single mom and want to find out more about our Single Moms group that meets Sunday mornings during the third service, please call Beth at (920) 931-1120 and email her.