GLADYS AYLWARD

Let me take you back in time and across the world to China, in the 1930’s where Gladys Aylward was sent by God to do the magnificent. I have found great inspiration from her amazing story which has been told through several books and a movie called The Inn of the Sixth Happiness.

Gladys was just a normal woman, a parlour maid in fact, and yet God chose her as a leader of some of his people and an ambassador for Christ. She spent her life savings on a train to Tsechow, think of all the things she could have done with this money, but she chose to spend them on God’s work. I find this an amazing act of selflessness that shows how much God can do in us. When she arrived in Tsechow, the woman she was supposed to meet, Jeannie Lawson, wasn’t there so she had to travel to Yangcheng on a donkey, without knowing a word of Chinese! Even in the tiredness from her journey, she was determined to reach Mrs Lawson thinking, if Jesus could travel on a donkey to Jerusalem then she could travel to Yangcheng. When she eventually got there, the old worn buildings of her new home welcomed her with open doors. It was to become The Inn of the Eight Happinesses based on eight virtues: Love, Virtue, Gentleness, Tolerance, Loyalty, Truth, Beauty, and Devotion. The people of the village were less welcoming, calling her a “foreign devil” but Mrs Lawson was well used to this, having been in China for seventy years. She stood no nonsense and soon had Gladys up cleaning floors, tidying rooms and readying for local visitors.

Gladys became familiar with the act of foot-binding in China, girl’s feet were bound when they were young to prevent growth so that they were ‘beautiful’. Soon an official came to visit her and offered her a job to prevent this horrible act and she would be paid. God’s providence was even shown! She had been praying for some sort of income for herself, so she toured the countryside enforcing the new laws made by the government but faced much resistance. God worked through Gladys as she helped orphan children find homes and even adopted a few herself and she risked her life many times to help those in need spiritually and physically.

The most striking thing that I love about Gladys’ story happens in 1938 when the Japanese had invaded China. YangCheng was bombed, and the place destroyed. Gladys helped as much as she could in binding the wounds and splinting broken bones. A decision had to be made, they could not stay in Yangcheng so Gladys took it upon herself to lead over 100 orphans to safety over the mountains. I am amazed at this woman’s courage and love for these children, they saw it too as many of them developed a faith in Christ. How God was good to her!

I think that the reason I love Gladys’ Story is that she is relatable. She was just like one of us and yet God chose her for his work, the very fact that she recognised this calling and did not ignore it. How many times has God called us to do something for him and we have said “No, it is too hard!” or “What about the practicalities?”? God will provide as he did for Gladys. The words of Matthew 19 verse 6 sum this up: “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

As we all know, China is still a hostile country towards followers of Jesus. In my home church in Kilraughts we have been praying for a church in Chengdu where Gladys went in her later years. I won’t go into too much detail but in China, Christians have been held captive and have been forbidden to enter their places of worship, even Bibles are not allowed in some areas. But God has given them courage to persevere and to show signs of opposition to the government.

There are a lot more amazing things that God has done through Gladys Aylward but there is simply too much to fit in an article! If you would like to read more about her story, my main source was a book called No Mountain Too High by Myrna Grant.

You can read more about Gladys Aylward at the links below …