Stout Woman #2

Charlotte was born on December 12, 1840 in Charlottesville, Virginia. She was raised on a plantation that had over 50 slaves. Her mother believed that al girls should have as good of an education as boys. So Charlotte received a good education. She attended a Girl’s boarding school in Virginia. There she was known as a practical joker. One day she wrapped sheets around the bell in the bell tower, classes started late that day. She then attended Albemarle Female Institute in Charlottesville that was run by the Virginia Baptists. Charlotte wasn’t a Christian at the time. Many students became burdened for her soul. They began praying that Charlotte would come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. She would scoff at these classmates, but one night she decided she would examine the Christian faith intellectually. That night he couldn’t sleep and spent the night in prayer. The next morning she decided to give her life to Christ. She immediately took a stand for Christ. Many of you know Charlotte, as Lottie Moon, one of the greatest Southern Baptist Missionaries of all time.

Many of you may know all about Lottie’s journey to China and her missionary work there. After all it is for that work and her example that we name our Christmas offering after her. What you may not know that long before she reached the mission fields of China she was a stout woman.

Immediately following her conversion Lottie felt called to the mission field. But before she could go, the Civil War broke out and Lottie was called home to help with the plantation. She tutored her sister “Eddie”. Her mother had converted all her money into confederate money, which was no longer useful once the war ended. After the war her mother had family troubles so Lottie took a job teaching in Kentucky.

Lottie lived among the Chinese people off and on from 1973 until her death in 1912. She made some return trips back to the state to raise funds. While in China she taught school and would make cookies for the Chinese people.  During famines Lottie and her fellow missionaries frequently gave up their food so that the Chinese people could eat. Lottie worked hard to raise awareness and money for missions. In 1912 war broke out in China. Famine and plague once again ravaged the land. Once again Lottie and other missionaries gave all they had to relief groups. In December of 1912 Lottie was sent back to America in an attempt to save her life. She never made it back to America. She died off the shores of Japan on Christmas Eve.

Lottie’s story is too long for me to share here. Lottie Moon was a strong woman. She lived a life of love. She was strong willed and determined. She was bold. She was brave. She traveled to an unknown land to serve an unknown people. She poured her life into them. She gave her all to serve the Lord.  Lottie stood up in a male dominated society. It wasn’t acceptable for woman to serve in the mission field if they were not married. Lottie pushed to allow single woman to serve in this capacity. She believed that the Lord called woman to spread the gospel just as he called men.

“Our Lord does not call on women to preach, or to pray in public, but no less does He say to them than to men, ‘Go, work in my vineyard.’” Lottie Moon

In 1918 the Foreign Mission Board (now the International Mission Board) of the Southern Baptist Convention named a Christmas offering after Lottie. The funds from this offering every year go to support international missions. Lottie has inspired many to serve the Lord with boldness and with all their heart. She has also inspired many to give whole-heartedly to missions.

This week my challenge is that we may become women who follow our passions. Who stand up from what is right. May we give of ourselves to those in need. May we have Lottie’s passion for those that do not Christ. May we reach this world from Christ from  one corner to the next.

"How many there are ... who imagine that because Jesus paid it all, they need pay nothing, forgetting that the prime object of their salvation was that they should follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ in bringing back a lost world to God."

- Lottie Moon

Tungchow, China

Sept. 15, 1887

"Why should we not ... instead of the paltry offerings we make, do something that will prove that we are really in earnest in claiming to be followers of him who, though he was rich, for our sake became poor?"

- Lottie Moon

Tungchow, China

Sept. 15, 1887

Stout Women

I've decided to start writing about what I like to call "stout women". I'm going to write about the strong women in my life that have inspired me and encouraged me with my walk with the Lord and the women in the bible that have also inspired me.

I guess I should begin with explaining what a "Stout" Woman is and that leads to the first woman that I'm going to write about...My Mom. So this will probably make her cry since yesterday's post did so Mom I apologize in advance for any tears you may cry. I love you very much. Several years ago when my dad's mom, Virginia died my mom and her best friend Jan went down to her house to set up an estate sale. Now my dad's parents had some land and they had cows. So while my mom and Jan were in Warner my dad asked them to take care of the cows. It was very cold the day of the estate sale so my mom had to go chop ice on the pond for the cows as well as making sure they got some feed. So my mom and Jan went out the field to feed the cows and chop the ice. When the Indian man that had helped my grandparents for years came by to check on them and see if they need anything, he was surprised to find out that my mom had already fed the cows and chopped the ice. He told my mom that she was a stout woman. This was quite a compliment for my mom, after all I have to agree she is  stout woman.

 Webster's defines stout as: brave, bold, determined, obstinate, uncompromising, sturdy, vigorous, staunch, enduring. I only hope that I can live up to this definition. My mom fits many of these definitions. She is brave. I think about her moving to Oklahoma as a newlywed, away from her family. She learned to form a support group to help her as she raised by brother and myself. She made friends that became family.  My mom is also determined. She like her mother sets her mind to do something and she does it. I spent many summers in Georgia watching those two women work side by side to put up vegetables and can fruit jellies. She is bold she is not afraid to speak her mind. She is enduring, she has stuck with my brother and myself through many difficult situations. She is sturdy and when trouble come she doesn't run away but faces it. She has taught me how to persevere and the value of hard work.

I think of Mary the mother of Jesus. She was a stout woman. Can you imagine, being a young woman, unmarried and pregnant? This was punishable by death in Mary's time. She must have been so brave to carry the savior of the world in her womb and to travel to Bethlehem nine months pregnant on the back of a donkey. To give birth in a dirty stable. She must have been scared but she didn't let her fears stand in her way. She was determined to keep Jesus safe. Remember how her and Joseph fled after Herod came looking for them. They traveled again by donkey to Egypt with a newborn. A new mother trying to figure it out on her own. Her own mother wasn't nearby to teach her what to do. She was enduring. She did her best to raise this child so he could fulfill his purpose. Can you imagine the grief and sadness she felt as she felt as she watched her son die? Yes Mary is indeed a strong woman.

What kind of woman is the Lord calling you to become? Bold?, Determined? Obstinate? Uncompromising? Strong? Enduring? Oh that we would become women who earnestly seek the Lord's face, that we would become stout women who serve the Lord.

‎"God is the one who put the Savior of the world into a woman's womb. He showed the risen Lord to women first, not to men, God is not biased toward men, he's an equal opportunity deity. When you give him your devotion when you sit at his feet and learn from him, he'll treat you with dignity and give you the delights of your heart"

This was from my devotional this morning. I have the New Woman's Devotional bible. I highly recommend this bible if you don't have one or are looking for a new bible. The reading came from Numbers 27:1-11. Zelophehad's daughters came to Moses because their father had died and he didn't have any sons. They wanted to inherit his property. Moses took this before the Lord and the Lord told Moses that it was right for the women to inherit the property. This is just one glimpse of how the Lord sees women. It is hard to realize at times in our society how women have been looked upon in other times. During Moses time it was a male dominated world. Women had no rights. But we see throughout the bible that the Lord uses women just as he uses men. He is not in the business of being sexist. God wants to use those who want to serve Him.

I'm named after Sarah from the bible. My mom was inspired by her faith. My middle name is Elizabeth named from my mom's grandma Bessie. Thank you to my dad for not allowing mom to actually name me Bessie. I found out last week while at home with my mom during our blizzard what a wonderful Christian woman my great-grandmother Bessie was. My mom told me that during WW2 her grandparents had German prisoners of war working on their Land. At lunch time my great-grandmother Bessie would cook a big lunch and invite these German POWs to sit at her kitchen table. To her these men were young men much like her son, my grandfather who was off in the Pacific. It didn't matter to her where they were from. She showed them Christian hospitality. When the military found out about this they told my grandmother she had to stop and serve the prisoners in the fields.

I think about Mary and Martha. Martha was busy trying to make all the preparations for Jesus' visit. while Mary sat at his feet listening to his teaching. Jesus was pleased with Mary because she took the time to listen at His feet. It seems that as women in 2011 we have so much to be busy with. I'm a medical student so my life consists of sleep, eating and studying and not necessarily in that order. I find it hard to sit at the Lord's feet and learn from Him. But when I do I come away refreshed and able to do what He has called me to do better. There is so much demanded of us as women. We are expected to maintain a house, raise children, and the list goes on. I feel that as women it is important that we are strong that we take time to rest at the Lord feet to refresh ourselves for what the Lord has called us to.

Todays devotion has made me think about other women in my life who have been wonderful examples to me and the one that comes to mind right now is my grandma Mary. She was an amazing woman. She was strong and determined. She was like many of the women that read about in the bible. She was spent her life serving others. She would always have my favorite meal made when I came to see her...roast beef and chocolate cake. She was determined she worked hard through her therapy for 2nd elbow replacement. Even in her last month she was determined to work. I sat at the kitchen table with her as she would help cut vegetables for dinner. She didn't want to stop. Her strength and determination inspire me to work hard and never give up. Her attitude of service challenges me to have a servant heart. She inspires me to sit at the feet of Jesus to listen and be refreshed to do his work. To give my heart fully to him. It was hard for her to be like the Mary of the bible at times. But I fully believe that when she entered heavens gates the Lord met her and said well done my good and faithful servant. For the first time in her life someone else made the banquet food and she sat down. No one had to push her to go through the line. My grandmother would always want to wait until we all went through the buffet line before she sat down.

So today I challenge myself and all other women out there, to be women of faith, endurance, and service. Take time to sit at our Savior's feet and learn from Him. Take time to devote yourself to His service what ever that may be. And I truly believe that He will give you the desires of your heart.