Seize the Moment: The Impact Lasts for Generations

By Priscilla Chinnadurai"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35Missions is the chance to die to self and surrender your will and life to God's calling. Missions is when you tell people how much Jesus loves them and then show it by letting God work through you and your life to show love. Missions is the chance to trust Jesus and prove Him in your life. When we do this we are providing a testimony to the great and marvelous work God has doing in our lives. Missions is the chance to serve as Jesus did.One of the greatest heroes of the faith who shows us what missions really means is Amy Carmichael. In the early 1900's Amy would go out into the streets of South India and speak about Jesus to the children who were playing there. One day Amy met a girl named Thangama who was only eleven years old but Amy's words about Jesus Christ stirred her heart and brought her to the Lord. She was so happy she went home and told her Hindu parents what a wonderful thing had happened to her that day. They were very displeased. Their daughter had brought disgrace upon her family by accepting a new and foreign god. They tried to change her mind and convince her to worship the idols but she would not, Thangama belonged to Jesus. Her parents tried beatings, starvation, and everything they could think to do until finally they threw her out of the their home and disowned her. An eleven year-old Thangama made her way to Amy Carmichael who took her home and raised her. God was with her and Thangama eventually grew up and became my great-grandmother.Now, four generations in my family have received Christ and are serving in full time ministry. God sent a young Irish girl who was a willing vessel to reach the children of India with His love and the impact of her willingness and her mission continues to transcend her lifetime.Romans 10:13-15 says that “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'”You can be involved by being willing! We are given opportunities every day to be a blessing. Whether you are at home, working in your community, a student, or in the most remote jungle, seize the moment! The world has changed a lot since Amy Carmichael shared the love of Jesus with my great-grandmother, but the need to share His love never changes and God will show ways to reach the hearts of people if we are willing to listen to Him and step into an adventure of faith. The reward is an inheritance of souls. Never miss an opportunity to share Jesus with someone because God is not willing that anyone should perish.About the Author:Priscilla lives in India and is very involved in her family's ministry there. She has always had an interest in missions because of the enormous impact it had on her family. She is currently enrolled in CollegePlus! working on a BSBA in International Business. The flexible study format works for her since she is on the road, even traveling across different countries and continents, on a regular basis. Once finished with college, Priscilla plans to continue her involvement in missions. She particularly has an interest in what God is doing in Africa.