Who do you look up to? Admire? Want to emulate?

Who's your hero of the faith? One of the great cloud of witnesses whom you'd love to meet?

When I was quite young, I was drawn to some books on my mother's bookshelf, purely by their colours. Two or three slim volumes of sapphire blue with gold. They were elderly books even then, and much read.

Over the years, I've added my own copies; inherited hers and those of my godmother and another elderly aunt; scoured secondhand book shops. And read several biographies of 'God's Madcap.'

oh yes - memories of the days when I was Penny

(hated being Podgy Penny, but that's a story for another day!)

As I read these books, I learned of southern India, of the young Irish woman who went first to Japan and then to India, as a missionary, after hearing God's call to missions, at the Keswick Convention. To be a missionary is a chance to die, she declared, and never left India again. It became her life and she immersed herself totally, even to the extent of staining her skin with coffee - no fake tan available in those days! For 53 years, Amy devoted herself to loving those around her, in her own madcap, impetuous, all-or-nothing way. She was a born romantic and adored animals, small children, nature; and a creative, in her drawings, writings, (scribblings, she called them) and the way she named things.

In the Tirunelveli district, just 30 miles north of the southern Indian tip, she began rescuing children and young girls from temple prostitution and told them how much God loved them. She gave them a home - and eventually the Dohnavur Fellowship became homes, nurseries, hospital (The Place of Heavenly Healing) school rooms, a chapel (The House of Prayer) a village.It grew to 170 acres, and later had areas for boys and men as well.

In 1931, Amma (mother) as Amy was known by her beloved Dohnavur family, had a terrible fall. She never fully recovered as arthritis and then neuralgia set in, and was mostly bedridden for the rest of her life. From within her four walls came an extraordinary gift of writing - she published over 40 books, many of which became best sellers. And they were published with blue covers, her favourite colour.

As a small child she had hated her brown eyes and longed to have blue ones. Her mother had told her that Jesus always answers prayer; so every night little Amy prayed for blue eyes and every morning she was disappointed to see her brown eyes in the mirror. On arriving in India, Amy realised how much more easily she would fit into the culture with her brown eyes - blue would have made her a total outsider. "Isn't NO an answer?" she later wrote.

Amy spent a lot of time reading - she had always studied the words of the Bible and used many different versions to bring out deeper truths and nuggets of gold.

Her main Bible was chosen by the Public Record Office of Northern Island (PRONI) as the document of the month for International Women's Day in March 2017.

Janet Hancock, Deputy Head of Public Services, said “I selected this bible because not only is it beautifully annotated but it tells the story of Amy’s missionary life. She uses different colours for different paragraphs and these reflect a variety of themes which I expect she incorporated into her teachings.

One particular annotation caught my eye and this was in reference to the apostle, Peter’s calling in Matthew 14 v 28, which seems to particularly resonate with Amy.

“The gospel author had written: ‘And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water’. In the margin, Amy had written that in matters of guidance, everything depends on that ‘if’ and that ‘come’. This seems to relate to her own calling to go to India, as she then details in the margins her own missionary work, listing dates of when she went to particular locations”.

It's 70 years today, Monday Jan 18th, since Amy Carmichael died in 1951. 70 years when her writings have continued to influence and inspire. Not just the stories of the girls and women she rescued, but also her devotional books. I've read, re-read and read again little books like IF and HIS THOUGHTS SAID HIS FATHER SAID and EDGES OF HIS WAYS.

Elizabeth Elliott, wife of Jim Elliott and a missionary and writer herself, said she owed Amy Carmichael as great a debt as one can owe another. Many of us can echo that as our spiritual lives have been shaped and influenced and deepened by the writings and scribblings of Amy Carmichael. That total commitment to Christ; that amazing reading of Scripture and other Christian writings, absorbing and and reflecting; that daily living out the love and service to others.

And yet. And yet. She wasn't perfect! The impulsive, headstrong all-or-nothing young girl and woman later wrote:

Don't do as I know I did ... don't work each day until you are unable to do one minute more ... Leave a margin ...

There were times she was too exhausted and her diaries mention her desire to hide the fatigue.

Give me a passionate passion for souls, Give me a pity that yearns, Give me the love that loves not death, give me the fire that burns...... Fire of love, burn in us, burn evermore, til we burn out for Thee ...

Amy was in her sixties when she fell; for twenty years she was in almost constant pain, yet poured herself into her writings - books, thoughts, songs, poems, hymns. All that troubles is only for a moment. Nothing is important but that which is eternal. (from KOHILA)

Amy Carmichael refused to accept an honour in the King’s Birthday Honours List; she refused to return home once she had arrived in India; she burned her life in the service of her beloved Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.

She had known exceptionally hard work, severe setbacks, huge disappointments, great pain and suffering. But she had also experienced and known the overwhelming love of God sustaining and supporting and providing.

*page from 'A CHANCE TO DIE' by Elizabeth Elliot*

Amy Carmichael. 16 December 1867 - 18 January 1951

top photo - age about 24

Love through me, Love of God,
There is no love in me;
O Fire of love, light Thou the love
That burns perpetually.

Flow through me, Peace of God,
Calm river flow until
No wind can blow, no current stir
A ripple of self-will

Shine through me, Joy of God,
Make me like thy clear air
That Thou dost pour Thy colours through,
As though it were not there.

O blessed Love of God,
That all may taste and see
How good Thou art, once more I pray,
Love through me, even me.
- Amy Carmichael

Isn't that our prayer too?

So I ask myself again - what legacy will I leave?

Will others know more of Jesus because of my life? Love through me, love of God - there is no love in me....

What about you? What's your legacy?

* * * *

A LENT QUIET MORNING

IF YOU ARE …..

click on this link

“IF – IF you are the Son of God!”

COME and join me on a Quiet morning in preparation for your Lent journey. We’ll be looking at the way Jesus was tempted : IF...IF ... IF. Here is a huge issue: who are you? Are you really the Son of God? If you are then you can do this - or this - or this. So are you really who you say you are, who you are claiming to be? And what’s the point of all this? WHAT’S THE POINT OF YOU? Who is Christ? And who am I in Christ? AND WHAT’S THE POINT OF ME? especially at the moment.

The retreat will be on Zoom and you will be sent the link along with the e-Journal a few days before the retreat. A slightly shorter morning this time, following comments from the Advent retreat that 3 hours was a little too long! We’ll have a 5 minute comfort break in the middle, and plenty of time for reflection. And remember that no-one sees you - this isn’t interactive, so you can stay in pj’s if you like!

Why not invite friends, family, your home group, to join us and experience this time together - it could be a great starting point for discussion, prayer, journeying through Lent together.

click here to register. The link for the live (and then recorded) session and the downloadable journal will be emailed to you nearer the time.

HOPE - PART TWO: PITCHING MY TENT

Thank you for all your replies about hope - both what is bringing you hope in this season and appreciating some of my thoughts in my previous email.

Part Two will be coming at the very beginning of February - until then, May you radiate with Hope as the power of the Holy Spirit surrounds you

- Penelope