Amy Carmichael-God Has Something More For Me

By Mary Vee

Year: 1885 

Amy Carmichael: 18 year old

From Amy's Journal

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

My father died only last year. My mother struggled to support all five of us kids. My brother and I did what we could since we were the oldest.

Not long after my eighteenth birthday, Mother took me to a dress shop to buy me a new dress. 

"Sweety, your father wanted to buy you a new dress before he died. It's time you have something lovely to wear. Wouldn't you like something blue like the one you saw before?" 

One of the dressmakers brought out several different bolts of gorgeous blue fabrics, some shiny, some with texture. They looked wonderful. She held one of the fabrics close to my face and said, "This should help you find a wonderful husband."

I started to shake and didn't know why. It seemed as if God was telling me not to buy the dress. I ran out of the store and waited for Mother. 

It wasn't long before she came out of the store. "What's wrong?" 

I didn't want to hurt her feelings. Inside, though, I was bursting with news I wanted to share. "Do you remember the church meeting I went to this last weekend?"

"Yes," my mother said.

"The material in the shop is lovely." I looked back at the store window. "I know it would help our family if I bought the new dress, met a man, and got married. But something I heard at the service touched my heart."

"What did you hear?" Mother pushed strands of my hair behind my ears. She waited patiently for me to finish.

"I'm not saying I should never get married. God may send the right man for me someday. 

"The speaker at the meeting told us God will always take care of us when we fall. "I--I feel like I've let God down." I looked at the ground and felt pretty sad. "There have been so many opportunities when I could have helped people. Tell them about Jesus. Even with the Bible studies I've started, there seems to be so much more that I could do."

Mother gave me a hug. "You seem really excited about this."

"I am. As much as I want to follow your wishes by buying the dress, I don't feel right about spending the money. God has something more for me. I don't know what it is yet. But He'll show me when the time is right."

Mom hugged me again and gave me the chance to follow my heart.


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.

Don't forget to comment! 
Let Amy hear from you!