Week: Justice - living the right way
We start by pausing and taking a deep breath:
In and out.
In and out.
We remember that God is here, and so together we prepare ourselves to be with God.
Pause
God of rescue and restoration, thank You for Your beautiful mission to save the whole world. Here we are, Lord. Fill us with Your Spirit, and send us so that we can join in with Your mission.
When we hear stories about people who are talented or gifted or super-clever, we sometimes feel a bit, well, ordinary. And maybe we wonder how God could ever call us to do something extraordinary when we’re so ordinary. Well, before we hear more about Gladys Alyward’s extraordinarily ordinary life, let’s REFLECT on what the Bible has to say about this.
Read by Zoë
1 Corinthians chapter 1:26-28
My dear friends, remember what you were when God chose you. The people of this world didn’t think that many of you were wise. Only a few of you were in places of power, and not many of you came from important families. But God chose the foolish things of this world to put the wise to shame. He chose the weak things of this world to put the powerful to shame.
What the world thinks is worthless, useless, and nothing at all is what God has used to destroy what the world considers important.
1 Corinthians 1:26-28 (CEV)
Gladys Aylward was born in 1902. She didn’t come from an important family and she didn’t have an impressive job. In fact, one of her first jobs was cleaning for a rich family. Gladys was unimportant in the eyes of the world, but God had plans for her.
One day, Gladys felt God speaking to her about going to China to tell people about Jesus, so she applied to train as a missionary. They rejected her because she failed their exams, but Gladys didn’t let that put her off. She knew that God had called her, and so she spent all her money on a boat ticket and off she went anyway.
In China, she used her skills as a cleaner to get a job at a hotel where she showed kindness and hospitality to the visitors and told them all about Jesus. Next, she got a job caring for children. She ended up adopting some of them, and she also set up an orphanage for more than 200 more children. And then, when a war started, she saved the children by leading them across a dangerous mountain range for many days and nights, even though she was sick and injured herself.
Gladys was such a hero that a Hollywood movie was made about her life. She was very embarrassed about this, because she didn’t feel like she was special. She knew that she was ordinary, and that it was God’s love in her that was extraordinary.*
Gladys failed her missionary exams, but she didn’t let that stop her. Let’s pause and talk about today’s question which is: Have we ever failed at anything? How did it feel? Did we feel like giving up, or did we have another go?
And now, let’s ASK God to help us and others.
One of the amazing things about Gladys Aylward is how she used her simple skills as a cleaner to serve God. She did the best she could with what she had, and she trusted that God would do the rest.
Father God, help us to be like Gladys! We ASK You to help us use what we’ve got – the things that we’ve learned and the ordinary things that we can do – to serve You. And help us to trust that You will do extraordinary things through them.
Gladys cared deeply for all of the children that she met. Children, let’s each think of a friend – another child. And adults, let’s think of a child that we know. And let’s pray for them now.
Father God, we know that You care deeply for every child and young person. We ASK You to be with those who we are holding in our minds and our hearts right now. Encourage them, comfort them, strengthen them, whatever they need, we ASK You to give it to them.
Even though other people told Gladys that she didn’t have the right skills or experience to go to China, she said YES to God instead. ‘If God has called you to China or any other place and you are sure in your own heart,’ she said, ‘let nothing deter you!’**
Father God, we say YES to being more like Gladys Aylward. We say YES to listening to You and trusting You, even when we doubt ourselves.
Let’s put a hand on our heart.
Father God, fill us with Your love. Help us to love You, and everything that You’ve made.
Let’s point to our eyes.
Lord Jesus, help us to see You, and to see others the way that You see them too.
Let’s point to our ears.
Holy Spirit, help us to hear You, and give us courage to do what You say.
*biog informed by https://www.thegoodbook.com/blog/excerpts/2021/09/14/the-true-story-of-gladys-aylward-missionary-to-chi/ and Everyone A Child Should Know by Clare Heath-Whyte, p15. 10 Pulblishing, 2017
** https://www.azquotes.com/quote/697843
Phil lives close to a beach in the north of England with his wife, his daughters and his dogs. Phil works for 24-7 Prayer, mostly doing Lectio stuff, and helping to run Prayer Spaces in Schools. He runs a lot, usually for long distances. He likes curry, mountains, reading books and he still plays Pokemon Go.
Zoë Thandeka (Thandi) is 13 and she lives in Guildford, in the UK, with her family. She loves football (her favourite football team is Liverpool FC), Top Gear and car-spotting. When she’s older, Zoë wants to be a photographer or work with animals in some way.
