R2g: Lilias Trotter {Faithful Women & Their Extraordinary God}

I enjoyed reading about Lilias Trotter over the past week from Noel Piper's book, Faithful Women & Their Extraordinary God.  While I had never before heard of her, it seems that she lived a truly meaningful and faithful life for the Lord.

Here are a few of the highlights I picked out from this short biography of her life:

• She chose to serve the Lord first and foremost and allowed her giftings (art) to be a means, not an end in itself.  This seemed like a hard decision for her, and I often find myself faced with similar decisions.  I love the way Noel summarizes this decision, "Much later, she realized even more strongly the importance of focusing on Jesus, rather than on all the good things he gives us"  (p. 46).
• She was creative and full of new ideas in fulfilling her ministry to Muslims in Algeria.  She and her dear friend Blanche came up with numerous ways to meet and visit Muslim women.   They also traveled to desert outposts, where missionaries had not yet been and sought to send more missionaries there to follow-up with their work.  Additionally, Lilias was among the first to begin writing biblical material for Arab women, even though the vast majority were illiterate during her lifetime, because she knew the Lord would bring literacy and she wanted solid material for them to be able to study and learn from.  I appreciated her response when she was criticized for being so forward-thinking, "And do not let us feel 'it is all premature'.  Faith is generally premature; it deals with things 'not seen as yet'." (p. 53)
• I also appreciated Noel's emphasis on how unlikely Lilias was to be a single, female missionary in Algeria.  She was 'older' before she began her missions work; she didn't know anyone in Algeria nor did she know the language (Arabic); she was physically frail due to her heart and required extended times of rest; she had received no formal training about being a missionary or living in a different culture; and, at that point in history the team of women were being pioneers in reaching Muslim women with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  And yet with all of these hurdles, Lilias was faithful and the Lord made a way and blessed her ministry for thirty-five years!!  That is so encouraging to me and reminds me of this passage from the Word:

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

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For those of you reading along with me, what aspects of Lilias' life stood out to you the most?  Were you encouraged?  Challenged?  Share you thoughts below with a comment!


I'll leave you with a piece of her artwork as well as a challenging quote:

Take heed to the ministry which thou has received in the Lord that thou fulfill it. (p. 63)