Single Hearted

amy carmichael“Blessed are the single-hearted, for they shall enjoy much peace.”

“If you refuse to be hurried and pressed, if you stay your soul on God, nothing can keep you from that clearness of spirit which is life and peace.”

“In that stillness you will know what His will is.”

Amy Carmichael (1867-1951) – Missionary to India

 


Wow. “Blessed are the single-hearted…”

Isn’t that a beautiful focus?

 

Seeking God, more than anything

Oh, I want to be “single-hearted” for the Lord, with my entire soul (my mind, my will, and my emotions) staying steadfastly on God, and not going off on some “crazy-wild-goose-chase” of distraction from God’s peace and God’s best.

I want to STAY single-hearted in that place of stillness with Him, where my spirit is clear and uncluttered . . . so I can know His perfect will . . . and I can know Him.

I want to live and “stay” in that place of total peace with God.

Quotes from Amy Carmichael

Quotes from Amy Carmichael

 

What is really the #1 most important focus of my heart?

More than anything, I want to know God.

–Not just know “about” God.
–Not just know “how” to have an impressive devotional life.
–Not just know “how” to live as a godly or mission-minded woman.
–Not just know “how” to make an effective difference “for Him” in this world.

 

More than anything, I want to know God, personally and intimately.

I want to care about my relationship “with Him” more than anything.

–More than my relationship with my husband.
–More than that priority time with my kids.
–More than my special “girl-time” with my dearest friends.
–More than special “family-time” with our extended relations.
–Even more than I care about doing stuff “for Him” and for His kingdom.
–Even more than seeking His direction, or His provision, or His grace.
–And even more than seeking His help to finish everything on my “to-do-list.”


Being single-hearted means caring more about my relationship “with God”
than anything I might do “for God.”

 

Give me the love that leads the way,

the faith that nothing can dismay,

the hope no disappointments tire,

the passion that will burn like fire…

— Amy Carmichael

 

 
Let’s be single-hearted.

 

Amy Carmichael’s Vision

Amy Carmichael

Thy Brother’s Blood: A Vision for Lost Souls
By Amy Carmichael
Missionary to India (1967-1951)

More mission quotes
by Amy Carmichael

Listen to an mp3 teaching
highlighting this quote


The tom-toms thumped straight on all night, and the darkness shuddered ‘round me like a living, feeling thing. I could not go to sleep, so I lay awake and looked; and I saw, as it seemed, this:

That I stood on a grassy precipice, and at my feet at crevice broke down into infinite space. I looked, but saw no bottom; only cloud shapes, black and furiously coiled, and great shadow-shrouded hollows, and unfathomable depths. Back I drew, dizzy at the depth.

Then I saw forms of people moving in single file along the grass. They were making for the edge. There was a woman with a baby in her arms and another little child holding onto her dress. She was on the very verge. Then I saw that she was blind. She lifted her foot for the next step . . . it trod air. She was over, and the children over with her. Oh, they cry as they went over!

Then I saw more streams of people flowing from all quarters. All were blind, stone blind; and all made straight for the crevice’s edge. They were shrieks as they suddenly knew in themselves that they were falling, and a tossing up of helpless arms, catching, clutching at empty air. But some went over quietly and fell without a sound.

Then I wondered with a wonder that was simple agony, why no one stopped them at the edge. I could not, I was glued to the ground. And I could not call; though I strained and tried, only a whisper would come.

Then I saw that along the edge there were guards set at intervals. But the intervals were too great; there were wide, unguarded gaps between. And over these gaps the people fell in their blindness, quite unwarned; and the green grass seemed blood-red to me, and gulf yawned like the mouth of hell.

Then I saw, like a little picture of peace, a group of people under some trees with their backs turned towards the gulf. They were making daisy chains.

Sometimes when a piercing shriek cut the quiet air and reached them, it disturbed them and they thought it a rather vulgar noise. And if one of their number started up and wanted to go and do something to help, then all the others would pull that one down.

“Why should you get all excited about it? You must wait for a definite call to go! You haven’t finished your daisy chain yet. It would be really selfish,” they said, “to leave us to finish the work alone.”

There was another group. It was made up of people whose great desire was to get more guards out; but they found that very few wanted to go, and sometimes there were no guards set for miles and miles of the edge.

One girl stood alone in her place, waving the people back; but her mother and other relations called, and reminded her that her furlough was due; she must not break the rules. And being tired and needing a change, she had to go and rest for a while; but no one was sent to guard her gap, and over and over the people fell, like a waterfall of souls.

Once a child caught at a tuft of grass that grew at the very brink of the gulf; it clung convulsively, and it called — but nobody seemed to hear. Then the roots of the grass gave way, and with a cry the child went over, the two little hands still holding right to the torn-off bunch of grass. And the girl who longed to be back in her gap thought she heard the little one cry, and she sprang up and wanted to go; at which they reproved her, reminding her that no one is necessary anywhere; they gap would be well taken care of, they knew. And then they sang a hymn.

Then through the hymn came another sound like the pain of a million broken hearts wrung out in one full drop, one sob. And a horror of great darkness was upon me, for I knew what it was; the cry of the blood.

Then thundered a voice, the voice of the Lord. And he said, “What hast though done? The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto Me from the ground.”

The tom-toms still beat heavily, and darkness still shuddered and shivered about me. I heard the yells of the devil-dancers and weird, wild shrieks of the devil-possessed just outside the gate.

What does it matter, after all? It has gone on for years; it will go on for years.
Why make such a fuss about it?

— God forgive us! God arouse us!
Shame us out of our callousness! Shame us out of our sin!

Amy Carmichael, Thy Brother’s Blood Crieth:
(India: The Dohnavur Fellowship).
Obtained from an article from Bethany Fellowship, Inc.
Minneapolis, MN.


Amy Carmichael (1967-1951) was born in Northern Ireland to a wealthy family. When she was eighteen, her father died, and as the eldest of seven children, Amy received much of the family responsibility.

Within twelve years, Miss Carmichael had 130 children in her care and had rescued many hundreds more. For fifty-five years, she sacrificially lived and ministered in India…without even a furlough. Many others were inspired to join with her, and together with these co-workers, she established an Indian mission work called “The Dohnaver Fellowship,”

Amy Carmichael is best remembered for her life work of saving precious Indian children (especially rescuing many young girls from Hindu temple prostitution). Even today, through her books and writings, the impact of her life and testimony continues to challenge many to a deeper walk with the Lord, and a deeper commitment to His service.

Taken from The Mission-Minded Child,
by Ann Dunagan

Blessed are the Single Hearted (Part 1)

amy carmichael

“Blessed are the single-hearted, for they shall enjoy much peace.”

“If you refuse to be hurried and pressed, if you stay your soul on God, nothing can keep you from that clearness of spirit which is life and peace.”

“In that stillness you will know what His will is.”

— Amy Carmichael, Missionary to India (1867-1951)


Wow. “Blessed are the single-hearted…”

Isn’t that a beautiful focus?

Oh, I want to be “single-hearted” for the Lord, with my entire soul (my mind, my will, and my emotions) staying steadfastly on God, and not going off on some “crazy-wild-goose-chase” of distraction from God’s peace and God’s best.

Seeking God, more than anything

I want to STAY single-hearted in that place of stillness with Him, where my spirit is clear and uncluttered, so I can know His perfect will . . . and I can know Him.

I want to live and “stay” in that place of total peace with God.

What is really the #1 most important focus of my heart?

More than anything, I want to know God.

–Not just know “about” God.
–Not just know “how” to have an impressive devotional life.
–Not just know “how” to live as a godly or visionary woman.
–Not just know “how” to make a difference “for Him” in this world.

More than anything, I want to know God, personally and intimately.

Being single-hearted means caring more about my relationship “with God”
than anything I might do “for God.”

–More than my relationship with my husband.
–More than that priority time with my kids.
–More than my special girl-time with my dearest friends.
–More than special family-time with our extended relations.
–Even more than I care about doing stuff for His kingdom.
–Even more than seeking His direction, or His provision, or His grace.
–And even more than seeking His help to finish my “to-do” list.

I want to care about my relationship with Him more than anything.

Oh, may I be single-hearted.

Bella’s Favorite Books — (Human Trafficking Awareness for Girls)

carlyn-bellaMy 12-year-old daughter Bella is a beautiful inspiration of faith-filled obedience, coupled with a sincere joy in the Lord. God has given her a heart for children, particularly orphans and abandoned children on the streets in India.

Listen to a Daring Daughter interview with
Carlyn and her daughter Bella < < <


Here are two mission books Bella recommends:
Both share missionary stories about rescuing children (Human trafficking awareness)

a-cry-from-the-streetsINTERNATIONAL ADVENTURES SERIES
A Cry From The Streets: Rescuing Brazil’s Forgotten Children
By Jeannette Lukasse

In the dark world of the Brazilian streets, children, toddlers and teenagers search trash cans for food, steal knives to protect themselves at night, and live in fear of being beaten or even killed by the police. For these desperately needy children, nothing was free – until they encountered the love of Jesus through the compassion of Jeannette and Johan Lukasse.

When this young Dutch couple asked God if He could use them to do something about the immense suffering they saw in the world, He led them on a winding path from their home in the Netherlands to the coast of Greece and eventually to the streets of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Their calling was clear: millions of orphaned and abandoned children were living and dying on the streets, caught in the deadly grip of drugs, violence, prostitution, and abuse.

What followed the Lukasses’ step of faith is a stunning example of how God miraculously uses the surrendered lives of believers to transform the lives of others with His hope and healing.

Pages: 224 (paperback)
Ages: 14+


amy-carmichael-rescuer-of-precious-gemsCHRISTIAN HEROES: THEN & NOW

Amy Carmichael: Rescuer of Precious Gems
By Janet and Geoff Benge

Amy Carmichael stood on the deck of the steamer, waving good-bye once again to her old friend Robert Wilson. How could she have known she would never see him or the British Isles again? Amy was certain God had called her to India. Indeed! India would be her home for the rest of her life.

Amy Carmichael’s life was one of simple, determined obedience to God, regardless of the consequences. Her service in India is a vivid example of the impact one person who will fear God and nothing else can have. Driven by love, sustained by faith and determination, this young woman from Northern Ireland defied the cruel barriers of India’s caste system (1867-1951).

This best-selling, missionary biography series – Christian Heroes: Then & Now – chronicles the exciting, challenging, and deeply touching true stories of ordinary men and women whose trust in God accomplished extraordinary exploits for His kingdom and glory.

Pages: 208 (paperback)
Ages: 10+


 


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