By Rosie Smith
Picture Attributon – Aishwarya A, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
It was a cold and drizzly day that Sunday morning, but Amy was somewhat used to such weather, living in Ireland. Leaving the warmth of the church building, she pulled her hat down over her eyes to shield them from the prickly rain, as she joined her mother and siblings walking down the cobblestoned street. Then something caught her eye.
It was an old woman clothed in rags, hobbling down the opposite alley. She was struggling with a heavy bundle in her arms, trying not to slip in the muddy rags that covered her feet. Amy tugged her brother’s arm and together they went over to her, offering their help. As Amy supported the thin bony elbow, she became aware of the wealthy church people passing them by. Amy’s face flushed red with embarrassment, and she pulled her hat down even further to avoid being seen.
It was then she experienced something that would change her life forever. There, in the centre of the road, was a fountain with a bible verse engraved on its side. Amy gasped as the words flashed like lightning and she heard a voice say to her,
“Gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, and straw — the fire will test what sort of work each has done. If the foundation survives, he will receive the reward.”
Amy turned around to see who had spoken, but no one was there. She knew then and there that it was God speaking to her. Even though she looked ‘good’ on the outside, on the inside she knew her heart was not in the right place. When she got home, she picked up the family Bible and read that bible verse again. With tears streaming down her face, she fell to her knees and prayed; “Dear God, please change my heart. From now on, I only want to do what pleases You.”
Little did she know how God would answer that prayer, and how she would spend the rest of her life loving and serving the poor.
Born in December 1867, Amy grew up always loving Jesus. She would sit on her mother’s lap, listening to her sweet voice singing hymns and telling her about God’s love. It wasn’t until she was much older that she began to realise there was more to being a Christian; not just the joy of knowing Jesus, but of sharing His love too.
One day Amy’s whole life was turned upside down. Her father’s business was forced to close. The financial stress upon him was so great that he became very ill and passed away shortly after. As the eldest of seven children, Amy dropped out of school to help her mother with the younger siblings. So, she began sharing Bible stories with them and inviting other children in the neighbourhood to listen. She also started visiting the slums where the poor people lived, yet her greatest burden was for the poor girls working in the flour mills.
They were known as the “Shawlies”, since they couldn’t afford to buy hats and wore shawls instead. For 14 hours a day they worked in terrible conditions and for very little pay. Amy wanted so much to bring them to her church, but she could see how unwelcome they were. Then one day she saw an ad for a tin building that could be built for 500 pounds. “Maybe we can start our own church!”, Amy thought excitedly. Amy mentioned it to the Shawlies and together they prayed that God would provide the money they needed. A short while later, just two people donated both the land and the money they needed. Soon the first ‘Welcome Hall’ church was opened, where it still remains today, over 130 years later.
Meanwhile Amy’s family was struggling to make ends meet. Eventually they made the decision to leave their home in Ireland and move to England. Again, Amy began helping the poor girls working in the flour mills, although this time she also lived among them in the same terrible conditions. Her tiny apartment was so cold and dirty and infested with cockroaches that Amy became very sick. She developed a disease called ‘Neuralgia’ which made her so weak and achy that she was forced to stay in bed for weeks at a time. Amy prayed about what she should do, and God provided an answer. She was asked to provide live-in care for an elderly Christian man who was a close friend of her family. The change of environment did wonders for her health and here Amy stayed for two happy years.
Then came the day when she heard God speak to her again in an audible voice. Just two words: “GO YE!”. In her heart, she knew that God was calling her to overseas mission work.
Amy was devastated about leaving the ‘dear old man’ as she fondly called him, as well as her ageing mother. But since her experience at the fountain all those years ago, she had decided to obey God’s will, no matter the cost. “Nothing” she said, “is too precious for Jesus”.
Amy first applied for work in China, but unfortunately, due to her poor health, they couldn’t accept her. Amy was then asked to go to Japan, but after a year of mission work there, she became so sick again that she had to leave. Amy couldn’t understand, “How can I be a missionary when I’m so weak and sickly?” she thought to herself. Yet her doubts were quickly subdued as the words from 2 Cor 12:9 flowed into her mind; “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness”.
After a short visit back to her home in England, Amy soon set sail again, this time to the land of India…What would happen there?
Find out in part 2…
