Although I never personally met her, Elisabeth Elliot became one of my mentors when I went to hear her speak. Eloquent? No. Polished? No. Charismatic? Not necessarily. Hip? Definitely not. I honestly cannot even remember what she said. But I do remember wishing I could sit at her feet and simply learn from her. Why? I wanted to know the LORD she knew, to fall in love with Him as she clearly had.
A recent article interviewing the now ailing Elisabeth and her husband, Lars Gren, gave insight as to why I was so drawn to her all those years ago. Although Elliot was thrust in the Christian limelight when her young husband was speared to death by the Auca Indians he was attempting to reach for the Gospel, Elisabeth never desired that notoriety. Even after taking the Gospel to the very indians that killed her husband, Elisabeth refused to share her “wisdom.”
Although she wrote 23 books during her 54 years of ministry, her response to any and every question asked by those seeking advice was “What does the Bible say? Do what the Bible says.” According to Lars Gren, when one overly excited young woman once asked, “Who is the real Elisabeth Elliot?” Elisabeth replied, “I don’t know. And may God keep me from ever finding out!”
Alzheimers has silenced Elisabeth. She is no longer in the “limelight,” yet she still mentors. As Lars shared that she knew the disease did not surprise her God and that with acceptance came peace. As he shared this, Elisabeth broke her silence and said, “Yes!”
20 years later I thank God for introducing me to Elisabeth Elliot. As she finishes her race, this servant of the LORD has allowed me (and you) see why she continues to know and love tHim so deeply, even within the confines of lost memory: she knows Him far more than she ever knew herself.
Hmmmmmm……
Oh LORD, give us your grace, like Elisabeth, and Paul before her, to live the words of 1 Corinthians 1:1-2, “And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or widsom. For i descided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him curicified.”
Needing Mercy,
Pattie
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