|
A Willing Heart 1
Timothy 4:12 (NLT)
Many believe that God only uses those who are mature in years, but history reveals a different story. The first successful work of the Salvation Army in the United States was begun by 17 year old Eliza Shirley.
Born in 1863 to Amos and Annie Shirley, Eliza Shirley was raised to be a proper Victorian young lady in 19 th Century England . Though trained in all the manners and customs to become a lady of the manor, Eliza longed for more than an ordinary middle class life.
Growing up in Coventry , England , as a young girl Eliza spent hours memorizing sermons preached by her father, a part-time minister. When she was fifteen years old, the Salvation Army marched into her hometown and began a work led by women preachers that came to be known as Hallelujah Lassies. In true Salvation Army fashion, these ladies held open-air meetings in poor neighborhoods in many cases in front of taverns. Their mission? To reach the poorest of the poor, whom no one else cared about, with the saving message of Jesus Christ.
Eliza was so affected by the preaching of these women that she dedicated her life to God’s service and accepted a post with the Salvation Army in Bishop Aukland, a coal mining village in Northern England .
At her new post Eliza joined Annie Allspop to evangelize the area. They lived in impoverished conditions among the poor of the village, getting most of their food from keeping what was thrown at them at the open-air meetings. Most of the money taken in offerings to be used to help with the work was stolen by the crowds before it reached them. Though times were hard, these two pretty, petite girls reached this rough-and-tumble village for God. They saw God move in that village in a powerful way as even the worst men were converted to Christ during their meetings. They remained faithful to the work, and lives were changed.
In 1880 Eliza moved with her parents to America and immediately began looking for a building to hold meetings in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . Their first meeting was attended by only 12 people and the work grew slowly. The rough crowds often pelted the three with mud, stones, sticks, and rotten vegetables.
Nearly four weeks into the work, a drunken man known as Reddy came forward and asked if God would even forgive a drunk like him. Yes, even him, the Shirleys explained. So, at that moment, Reddy gave his life to the Lord and his life was changed…and so was the ministry in Philadelphia . Reddy became such a living testimony to the grace of God, that people filled the meeting house to see it for themselves.
Soon after this, Eliza found another building on the West Side of Philadelphia and opened a new work for the Salvation Army. She sent to General Booth for reinforcements and the work of the Salvation Army spread throughout America .
Of the seven young women sent to help Eliza Shirley in America only one was over the age of 20. God is no respecter of persons. Young or old, male or female, if you have a willing heart, God will use you to build His Kingdom.
|
