Let me introduce you to Amy Carmichael

I want to share a little bit about the author of a quote that I included in the new Encouragement clear art stamp set that I designed for Layers of Color. It is the one by Amy Carmichael, one of my spiritual heroes. Her story was very influential in my decision to pursue a missionary life.

Amy Carmichael was an Irish missionary to India. She served God faithfully for 55 years in the field without furlough. She started the Dohnavur Fellowship that, to this day, ministers to neglected children. She exemplified sacrificial love and devoted herself to serving these children for most of her life.

While ministering in India, Amy wrote several books that showed her great love for Christ and the Indian people. The quote I included in the Encouragement stamp set is from a poem called Fret Not Thyself, taken from her book of poems called Toward Jerusalem.

Fret Not Thyself

By Amy Carmichael

Far in the future
Lieth a fear,
Like a long, low mist of grey,
Gathering to fall in dreary rain:
Thus doth thy heart within thee complain.
And even now thou art afraid, for round thy dwelling
The flying winds are ever telling
Of the fear that lieth grey
Like a gloom of brooding mist upon the way.

But the Lord is always kind.
Be not blind, be not blind
To the shining of His face,
To the comforts of His grace.
Hath He ever faileth thee yet?
Never, never. Wherefore fret?
O fret not thyself, nor let
Thy heart be troubled,
Neither let it be afraid.

Near, by the footfall,
Springeth a joy,
Like a new-blown little flower
Growing for thee, to make thee glad.
Let thy countenance be no more sad,
But wake the voice of joy and health within thy dwelling,
And let thy tongue be ever telling,
Not of fear that lieth grey,
But of little laughing flowers beside the way.

For the Lord is always kind.
Be not blind, be not blind
To the shining of His face,
To the comforts of His grace.
He hath never failed thee yet.
Never will His love forget.
O fret not thyself, nor let
Thy heart be troubled,
Neither let it be afraid.

If you want to know more about Amy Carmichael, I highly recommend that you read her biography, which is aptly called A Chance to Die by Elisabeth Elliot.  Amy blessed so many during her lifetime. And her story and writings continue to inspire so many others today all over the world.

“In You our fathers trusted; They trusted and You delivered them. To You they cried out and were delivered; In You they trusted and were not disappointed.”

Psalm 2:4-5