June 15th, 2015 Elisabeth Elliot went home to the Lord. I didn’t personally know her, I just happened across the news on social media. Her family and friends are in my prayers, but there must be great rejoicing in heaven that so faithful a servant and good a solider finally finished her race at 88 years old. What a life. Widowed twice, married three times, missionary, mother, writer… persevering and demonstrating great faith throughout her life… I can hardly aspire to the work that she did, but I do hope I manage to be something like her as God works in me.
I know it’s common to feel as if you know an author that you like very well. I’ve felt as if I were sitting down to talk with a good friend as I’ve worked through Keep a Quiet Heart in my daily devotionals. God used her writing very often to send me the right words at the right moment in the past couple of years. Today in my reading, Mrs. Elliot talked about spiritual motherhood, encouraging older women to fulfill the mandate given them in Titus 2. She writes:
In Bible studies, Sunday School classes, over your kitchen table or wherever you have opportunity, raise the subject of spiritual motherhood. Tell others of the blessing your own spiritual mothers have been to you. (If you had none, find a model in a book, as I did in missionary author, Amy Carmichael. Then seek to be one.)
To me, Elizabeth Elliot has been just that–my literary mentor and an example of strong Christian womanhood as it’s meant to be. Her writing will continue to influence me as I seek to draw closer to the Lord. Praise God for her humble, faithful service to His kingdom. I know I’m just one of perhaps hundreds of thousands touched by her faithful witness, because she chose to answer God’s call.
Note: If anyone happens to see this and was also impacted by Mrs. Elliot’s ministry, her husband posted the following message on www.elisabethelliot.org.
Message from Lars Gren
We rejoice for Elisabeth that she is home with her Lord as of 6:15 am, June 15, 2015. Thank you for your prayers and messages of comfort.In lieu of flowers, her family requests that memorial donations be made to the Christian Worker’s Fellowship Fund, P.O. Box 12347, Kansas City, KS 66112.
Details for memorial service will be posted later.
An Audacious Poet 