Amy Carmichael-I May Never Walk Again

By Mary Vee

Year: September 1931

Amy Carmichael: 63 years old

From Amy's Journal

Photo Courtesy

My name is Amy Carmichael. I am a missionary in India. 

I had fallen into a pit while inspecting the land where we were building a new facility. I'd called for help and hadn't heard anyone respond.

Now you are caught up. And I'm still in the pit.

I dug holes to pull myself up to the surface. The dirt tumbled down on me. My good foot helped, but the pain really slowed me down. I reached up above my head for a rock and realized a hand had scooped up mine.

Tamil, the driver pulled me up and out of the pit. "Thank you, Tamil for helping me." 

He frowned. "You didn't fall. A demon threw you down there."

I didn't want to create a fuss so I did't say any more about that. "Please call the mission and tell them them I had an accident."

I waited two hours for medical help, feeling my ankle swell up to the size of a melon. The pain was so strong I could barely handle it. A car door closed and Dr. May's voice rang out. This was the first time I realized how the Indian people felt when medical help arrived. Through all the pain I was so happy to see her.

Until she gave me that look. "I'm sorry, this is very bad. We need to take you to the London Mission Society Hospital."

Forty-six long miles of narrow roads between rice paddies. Ooooh my ankle throbbed. I had to bite down on my finger at times to lesson some of the pain. The nurse, Mary Mills rode with me, trying her best to find ways to make me comfortable. This was not a job that could be done. 

To add to the bumpy road, rain gushed from the sky making the narrow steep roads dangerous. The driver worked so hard to keep the car on the road. One time the vehicle hit a huge bump created by the road washing out. Everyone was thrown out of the vehicle. I hit the ground with a thud. Pain surged from my toes to my head. Mud dripped down my face. Ooooh I hurt so much.

The one good thing that happened was the car stayed upright. We did not have the manpower to right a car that was turned upside down. 

We finally reached the hospital. The wide eyes from the doctors told the story of what they saw. We looked awful!

They took X-rays. The news was a little worse than I'd hope. My leg was broken above the ankle. The doctor said I had to have my ankle in splints for eight weeks. 

Eight weeks!!!

The doctor prayed for me, "O Lord have mercy on this servant of yours. Please be with this woman who has served you so many years. Help her leg to heal strong enough to let her stand again."

The staff wheeled me to surgery. The mask of ether covered my face and in the seconds before I went to sleep I thought of Psalm 6. "Have mercy on me, O Lord. For I am weak. O Lord heal me for my bones are afflicted."

And then I realized the doctor hadn't said I would be walking for sure. The last thing I remember was a tear forming.


Come back next week to read more of Amy Carmichael.



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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