Amy Carmichael-The Beautiful Blue Dress and the Sacrifice

By Mary Vee

Year: 1884 

Amy Carmichael: 17 year old

From Amy's Journal

Photo Courtesy Amy's family moved from the
rich city of Millisle to a poor section of Belfast

I stayed at the boarding school for three years and made many friends. At the end of the third year, though, my parents said I had to come home.

My dad didn't earn as much money as he use to. He and Mother couldn't pay the bill for me to stay in school. 

We even had to move to a city where the houses cost less money.

Father looked for work and found a job. I could see in his sad eyes that he felt bad about making me leave school and moving the family to a new place.

One day he came to me and said, "Amy, dear, I want to buy you a new dress. You don't have a nice one to wear. How will a young man meet you?"

I knew we didn't have the money, but he insisted Mother and I go to the dress shop. The most magnificent blue dress hung in the window. It was gorgeous.

Mother saw it, too. "Try it on, Amy."

It fit perfectly! I'd never seen such a beautiful dress. I looked at the price and sighed. My parents shouldn't spend this much money on me when we cut corners to buy food. "Mother, I love this dress. Let's wait until next year when Father has more money. I can wait. Really."

We returned from the shopping trip and told Father all about the dress. "And I plan to get it next year when the family money can handle it."

He grinned and stroked my cheek. "Amy, you are a sweet girl. Any man you marry will be very blessed to have you."

The months went by and our family did a little better with money. We didn't eat quite the fancy meals we used to, but our stomachs were full.

In April, Father caught a terrible cold that turned into pneumonia. He became awfully sick. One night, our family gathered in the living room like we always did, to read the Bible. Father couldn't read the words. He asked Mother to sing a hymn. As she finished the last words, Father died.

Mother needed all of us to help wherever possible since we didn't have Father's income any more. I hardly knew what to do.

Now that I look back at this day, I see how God touched my heart to prepare me for what He wanted me to do as an adult.

Resources used for this series:
Benge, Janet, and Geoff Benge. Amy Carmichael: Rescuer of Precious Gems. Seattle, WA: YWAM Pub., 1998. Print.
Davis, Rebecca Henry. With Daring Faith: A Biography of Amy Carmichael. Greenville, SC: Bob Jones UP, 1987. Print.
Dick, Lois Hoadley. Amy Carmichael: Let the Children Come. Chicago: Moody, 1984. Print.
Meloche, Renee Taft., and Bryan Pollard. Amy Carmichael: Rescuing the Children. Seattle, WA: YWAM Pub., 2002. Print.
Wellman, Sam. Amy Carmichael: A Life Abandoned to God. Uhrichville, OH: Barbour Pub., 1998. Print.

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