Her Life

Early Years

“We profess to be strangers and pilgrims, seeking after a country of our own, yet we settle down in the most un-stranger-like fashion, exactly as if we were quite at home and meant to stay as long as we could.”  These words, penned by Amy Carmichael, are actually quite contrary to the way she lived her life.  Rather than settling into life as if this world were her home, she realized that she was just passing through on the way to her eternal home.  She chose to surrender her will to God, following the path He chose for her, and she changed many lives along the way.

Born into a Christian family, Amy was saved when she was fifteen while at boarding school.  Shortly after, her father suffered a financial setback, so Amy and her two brothers had to withdraw from school and return home.  Two years later, when her father died suddenly, Amy began caring for her younger siblings.  A turning point in her life came when she and her brothers stopped one Sunday to help an old lady who was struggling with a heavy bundle.  The words of 1 Corinthians 3:12-13 came to Amy’s mind: “If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will become obvious. For the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work (CSB).” From this point on, Amy’s life was shaped by the thought, “Nothing is important but that which is eternal” (Murray, 6-7). 

Her Ministry

On July 26, 1892, Amy Carmichael recorded that she felt called for service overseas.  She first tried to go to China with the China Inland Mission, but was rejected for health reasons.  She then went to Japan, where she served for fifteen months.  Her time was spent learning the language as well as witnessing to the people.  When she had to leave Japan for health reasons in 1894, she went to Ceylon.  She stayed there until her close friend and father-figure, Robert Wilson, had a stroke.  She returned to England to be with him until he recovered, at which time he helped her volunteer with the Church of England Zenana Missionary Society in India.  On Oct. 11, 1895, Amy left Britain at age 27, never to return.

Nothing is important but that which is eternal.

Amy Carmichael

Amy’s initial time in India was difficult.  She struggled to learn the language.  The spiritual darkness and the suffering of women under the caste system were hard for Amy to accept, as was the nominal Christianity that was prominent in the area.  Things changed for the better when she met Thomas Walker, who invited her to join him and his wife at their mission in Tinnevelly.  The Walkers had an extreme influence on Amy’s life.  She helped them in their evangelistic work, traveling through the region to share the gospel.  This was hard work both physically, as they traveled in uncomfortable carts and slept in tents, and spiritually, as their message was rejected time after time. 

Amy continued this work until 1901, when an event occurred that would change the direction of her life forever.  A seven-year-old girl was brought to Amy after fleeing the temple, where she was being prepared as a temple prostitute.  This opened Amy’s eyes to a world of suffering that she had not really been aware of before.  Later that year, four other children were brought to her in need of care, although they were not from the temple.  She formed a base at a place called Dohnavur, where the children were cared for while she continued her evangelistic work with the Walkers.  However, she continued to have a burden for the temple children. 

Over the next three years, many more children were brought to Amy, including six that were from the temple.  in 1904, Amy realized that her calling was to care for these children, putting an end to her traveling.  Amy became “Amma,” or “Mother,” to all the children, who continued to come.  By 1912, there were around 140 children.  Many workers came and went over the years to help Amy meet the needs of all the children, including their educational and medical needs.  In 1923, there were 30 nurseries, each with a mother for the children.  By 1926, a boy’s compound was added with 70-80 children.

Besides her work with the children, Amy Carmichael was an author.  She wrote books and poetry, as well as a biography of Robert Walker.  At age 63, Amy had an accident—breaking her leg, dislocating her ankle, and twisting her spine.  She never fully recovered, spending most of her time in her room.  Yet she would not leave her children and workers, which numbered around 900 by the 1940s.  She also continued to write.  A fall in 1948 ended Amy’s mobility for the last couple of years of her life.  She died January 18, 1951.

Her Legacy

Focus on the Eternal

Amy realized from a young age that the only things of real significance are things that are eternal.  She chose to give her life to the pursuit of the eternal rather than becoming too at-home in the world.  She gave up family and the comfort of home to invest the lives of hundreds of Indian children, saving many from horrible lives as temple prostitutes.  Her life in India wasn’t easy, but she found it very rewarding, finding joy in the midst of her difficult circumstances and trusting God through it all.  She realized that her “light and momentary troubles” were achieving for her an “eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17, NIV). 

Too often, we get distracted by the things of this world, things that will not last.  We fail to invest in eternal things, such as our relationship with God and others or sharing the Gospel with those around us.  In my own life, daily responsibilities are so pressing that they seem to take precedence.  Laundry and dishes take priority over spending time with God or investing time in my children.  We may also focus on our difficult circumstances, choosing to look around at what’s going on rather than looking up to God.  We don’t look beyond our circumstances to see what God may be trying to teach us.  Like Amy, however, we need to keep our focus on what’s truly important. 

Be Quiet Before God

Amy Carmichael also recognized the need to be quiet before God, in order to truly focus on Him.  She believed that, in the quiet, her soul was fed.  She even began worship services with the children with a moment of silence.  Amy would pray the following prayer: “My Father, quiet me, Till in Thy holy presence, hushed, I think Thy thoughts with Thee” (Murray, 133).

We must seek God’s help to come before Him in silence so that we can truly experience His presence.

Although many Christians talk of having a “quiet time,” I have to wonder how quiet it really is.  It seems that many people can’t handle the quiet, always having some sound around them—music or talking or just noise.  I know I struggle to truly be quiet before God.  Even if the room around me is quiet, I have a hard time quieting my thoughts to focus on Him.  I get distracted as I try to read the Bible or pray.  I need to make Amy’s prayer my own, seeking God’s help to come before Him in silence so that I can truly experience His presence.

Share God’s Love

According to Amy, the foundation of a Christian’s life is to be love, primarily God’s love for us through Christ.  She realized that we are only able to love others because God first loved us.  She knew that we have no love in ourselves.  We are empty, but God’s love fills us to the point that it overflows to those around us.  Therefore, our focus should be on the love of Christ, rather than on ourselves.  Amy exemplified this, as in all her writings, she seldom mentioned herself.  Others saw the love of God in her so strongly that they couldn’t help be drawn to her.  However, about herself, Amy wrote, “Don’t think I am that myself!  I fall far short of my own standard.  But that is what I want to be, and that is what we must be if we are to stand the strain and conquer” (Murray, 137).

I can relate to Amy Carmichael, as I feel my efforts to love others falls far short of my own standard, not to mention God’s standard.  I fail to love others with the love of Christ.  My love is tainted by selfishness and pride.  I need to focus more on Christ and His love for me.  As I learn to be more like Christ, then I can love others the way He loves. 

Amy Carmichael truly lived worthy of the calling God placed on her life, choosing to surrender everything to follow His will.  Her devotion to God allowed her to serve others selflessly, and, as a result, hundreds of children’s lives were saved.  Many more people were touched through her writing.    May we all choose to follow Amy’s example, making her words the prayer of our hearts:

And shall I pray Thee change Thy will, my Father,
Until it be according unto mine?
But, no, Lord, no, that never shall be, rather
I pray Thee blend my human will with Thine.

*Most of the information in this post, as well as quotes marked Murray, are taken from the book Amy Carmichael: Beauty for Ashes by Iain Murry.

*This post is part of my “She Lived Worthy” series, which includes the following posts:

5 Biblical Reasons to Read Biographies

Corrie Ten Boom-Her Faithful Life (part 1)

Corrie Ten Boom-Her Faithful Life (part 2)