As a young girl, I was inspired by books written by Bess Streeter Aldrich. Ms. Aldrich wrote books about the Great American Migration and other stories about those who built this nation.
Abbie Deal was the main character in “A Lantern In Her Hand”. Abbie became my hero. She could have married a young doctor, gone east and lived the high life. Instead, she married a young farmer with dreams of heading west to settle a new country.
The pioneers knew what living sacrifice was all about, but they had dreams bigger than themselves.
Abbie Deal could sing, paint, write and she was beautiful. None of those things mattered too much as she changed diapers, hoed gardens, kept a sod house clean and cooked, canned produce and raised her family on the Nebraska prairie.
When her oldest daughter, Margaret, showed the promise of art, Abbie was overjoyed. She obtained a paint set for Margaret. When husband Will wanted Abbie to use the paint set because he knew she’d had dreams of art before they married, Abbie insisted that Margaret have her chance. And so it was.
That story of living sacrifice so impressed me. It prepared me for later when God would call me to be a living sacrifice for a time for His purposes. He gave me the courage to do it, day by day and hour by hour. It was not easy and I wanted to get out of it often. Yet, God helped me to fix my eyes on the goal that was bigger than myself—what He required. It did take most of my lifetime, but I have no regrets. He was there all along.
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship” Romans 12:1. NIV
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