Sowing in Tears: Amy Carmichael and Psalm 126:5-6

Some of the biggest harvests begin with a closed door. Amy Carmichael, an Irish missionary, was ready to sail for Asia when she was told her health made her unfit for the work. She had to wait and rethink her path before joining another mission society and heading to India.

There, in 1901, she founded the Dohnavur Fellowship in Tamil Nadu. According to Wikipedia, she often said the work of rescuing children began with one girl named Preena, who escaped being made a temple servant against her wishes and was given shelter. One act of kindness became a sanctuary that, over the years, looked after more than a thousand children. Amy served in India for 55 years and wrote 35 books about the work.

Her story reminds us of these words:

"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." - Psalm 126:5-6 (KJV)

Delay is not denial. The waiting season, the tears and the small first step can all be seed in God's hands. As many Celestians gather for harvest thanksgiving this season, it is worth remembering that every harvest was first a seed somebody dared to sow.

Prayer point: Lord, help us to keep sowing faithfully, even when the season is slow and our eyes are wet.

Over to you:
- Can you remember a closed door in your life that later turned out to be the start of something good? Share it with us.
- What small seed are you sowing today that you trust God to grow?

Sources: Wikipedia, "Amy Carmichael" (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Carmichael); KJV Bible.
Photo: Amy Carmichael with children, Wikimedia Commons (public domain)