In 1900, an uprising in China against Christians and evangelical churches claimed some 32,000 lives. The Shanxi Province was a particularly dangerous place to openly follow Christ. Lizzie Atwater, a young pregnant missionary there, wrote a final letter to her parents on August 3, 1900:
"Dear Ones, I long for a sight of your dear faces, but I fear we shall not meet on earth... I am preparing for the end very quietly and calmly. The Lord is wonderfully near, and He will not fail me. I was very restless and excited while there seemed a chance of life, but God has taken away that feeling, and now I just pray for grace to meet the terrible end bravely. The pain will soon be over, and oh the sweetness of the welcome above!
My little baby will go with me. I think God will give it to me in Heaven, and my dear mother will be so glad to see us. I cannot imagine the Savior's welcome. Oh, that will compensate for all of these days of suspense. Dear ones, live near to God and cling less closely to earth. There is no other way by which we can receive that peace from God which passeth understanding.... I must keep calm and still these hours. I do not regret coming to China, but am sorry I have done so little. My married life, two precious years, have been so very full of happiness. We will die together, my dear husband and I.
I used to dread separation. If we escape now it will be a miracle. I send my love to all of you, and the dear friends who remember me."
Lizzie saw eternity. Twelve days after her letter was written, on August 15, 1900, Lizzie Atwater, her unborn baby, and six other missionaries were hacked to death by their guards.
May God give us the same courage, and his peace that passes understanding during the uncertain times we live in. If you don't know Jesus, please write me and let me introduce you. We are in very precarious times. You need all the courage and help God has available for you.
Brava! What a beautiful extension of grace at such an amazingly trying time of life for her and for us as we see what is approaching. Thank you for stepping out in faith to bring as many of God's children home as possible. Bless you tons.
ReplyDeleteAt age 22 I died and God gave me back my life, and since that time, while I have never died yet again, I've been very ill and close to death, and God again gave life back to me.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing I will never forget is the total peace in the presence of God. As though every good thought, feeling, love, warmth, joy, you ever knew in life was in one place. As I begin to get older, I now know this is where all good things come from - the Father of Heavenly Lights - and we need not fear even in the most uncertain of times.
When James and John asked if they could sit at his right and his left, he asked them if they could drink from the same cup and share the same baptism (he was speaking of the cup of suffering and the baptism would be death and resurrection), and they quickly replied, "Yes" to which he replied they would, but to sit at his right and left when he came into his glory was already reserved - for two thieves on two cross, because he said to the one who asked to be remembered "This day you shall be with me in paradise."
James experienced the cup of suffering and the baptism of death first being killed by Herod, but John's journey was a long one living to be the oldest of disciples, but also having been the youngest when he stared following Jesus as at 12, and to be the only disciple to not run away at age 20.
In my youth, I had a close friendship with Yahweh (Yeshua - Yahweh is salvation), and then I got an education, was exposed to many new ideas of man, and learned to doubt and fear in such a way, that it crippled the faith of the young teenage man and nearly destroyed his faith at various tough times in his life as he struggled through his 20s and 30s.
Now in spite of all my wisdom I've acquired, in spite of the stronger person I am now, most precious is that friendship I found with my savior at age 10, reaffirmed at age 15 after 3 years of falling due to tribulation that was in my life, and the challenge is to walk so close to the heart of my Savior on daily basis, that when I die, I need not worry, or if tribulation comes again to not doubt or fear, because I want my Savior to know my love is real and faithful and so I can't give up on the Friend & Savior who never gave up on me.
God bless you Christa and thanks for sharing.