I started reading the biography Becoming Elisabeth Elliot. I love reading the stories and journeys of faith of women from that generation. Many of these women are humble, obedient, and laser-focused on the priority to follow Jesus. Some can dip their toes into legalism, and have the influence of their particular evangelical generation from that time of history. This is true of us as well. We weed out what isn’t helpful, but listen closely for the gems of truth, goodness, and encouragement. I find the writings of traditional older women to be no-nonsense, direct, and clear, and I appreciate that. They have gone on to be with Jesus, passing on the baton of faith to us, and we listen to their voices, immortalized by print, to mentor us on the faithful journey.
I reached out to an older woman through Facebook Messenger yesterday to ask her what her advice is to a woman like me, middle-aged, raising children, home educating. She offered me grace and simplicity, words I will chew on, allowing to digest and nourish me. The first thing she sent was a favorite quote:
I could just leave that here and end this letter. Isn’t it beautiful to think of our Beloved God holding us fast in love and never letting us go?
She went on to say:
“Spend time sitting still—focusing on five verses. Go through one New Testament book and one Old Testament book, one after the other. Ask God what HE wants you to do today…focus only on that today. Rest in His perfect love and planning. “There is no such thing as poor timing in God’s economy.” ~Elisabeth Elliot
Then she referred me to this podcast, offering a replay of an Elisabeth Elliot talk from 1995 on the topic of Keeping a Quiet Heart. Hint: A quiet heart comes from our will being submitted to His will.
Isn’t this simplicity refreshing? Faith gets complicated these days with all the social media voices, the infiltration of politics with faith, the intense emotions surrounding who is right and who is wrong. We can get a bit paralyzed and feel faith-fatigue when all we need is that encouragement to stillness. Sit still, read small portions of the Word, surrender to God’s plan for our day. Rest.
When the current voices and avalanche of ideas feel loud and pushy, let’s return to the foundations. Allow these faithful women who are going before us to remind us of our focus. Stillness. Word. Surrender. Rest.
Amen.
Aimee
And I LOVED Becoming Elisabeth Elliot!
Thank you, Aimee, for passing along the wisdom. I find myself reading your posts multiple times. They are so helpful for me. Elisabeth Elliot has been such a blessing to me over the years. Did you know that her granddaughter has a podcast sharing some of Elisabeth Elliot's messages? How is the book? It's on my list.