Two Mentors...

"One can give without loving, but one cannot love without giving." ~Amy Carmichael

I mentioned Amy in one of my postings awhile ago. She was an amazing Godly woman and I have found her story and faith inspiring and challenging to my own for many years now. There are two people whom I have never known personally that I consider to be mentors. Amy is one and Rich Mullins is the other.



Amy Carmichael devoted her life to saving children from suffering, poverty, and forced prostitution in India. She was a devoted missionary for 55 years who never once took a furlow home. She was also an avid writer. I mentioned the daily devotional "Edges of his Ways." These are small, simple snippets of insight that I glean much from.
She knew at an early age she wanted to become a missionary and she overcame years of physical pain and illness to complete the tasks that had been laid out for her. She served her Lord and Savior with an unselfish, childlike awe. I aspire to follow her example of faith.



Unlike Amy Carmichael, I did have a chance to meet Rich Mullins. I was attending a Christian music festival with my family back in the early 90's. There were concerts by well known artists every evening for about a week. On one of those days we were standing in line for dinner at a cafeteria type place. The man ahead of me had longer, brown hair and was wearing black tea-shirt. While moving my tray down the line I stopped at one dish and I couldn't make out if it was chicken or fish...I asked the guy ahead of me what he thought. He laughed and said he thought it was fish...I thanked him and moved on.
That evening the guy who had been ahead of me in line was Rich Mullins (as I'm sure you already suspected). He played the hammered dulcimer and sang. I will always remember how I met him, not because he was famous, but, because of his humanness. My parents and I went up and chatted with him after the show...he was very friendly and talkative. Rich was never larger than life as some in the spotlight seem to be. He did what he loved, he spoke honestly about his faith and his shortcomings. He was unpretentious, unassuming, honest and very genuine. Qualities that I admire and also aspire to have.
His music is part of my life's soundtrack:

"Sometimes my life just don't make sense at all.
Where the mountains look so big,
and my faith just seems so small.
So hold me Jesus,
'cause I'm shaking like a leaf.
You have been king of my glory,
wont you be my prince of peace."
~Hold Me Jesus

Rich's music reminds me that I am not the only one with doubts and fickleness and human frailty and that despite of all that...I am loved by my Lord and Savior despite those shortcomings.

These two people have both gone to be with the Lord, but they have left behind a legacy that touches my life. For that I am grateful.