"Mrs?" the elderly woman inquired, "I'm no Mrs., I am Miss Stickley." I had been properly chastened by this wizened old lady. I had accidentally called her Mrs. Stickley and as you just heard, she quickley corrected me. It was the beginning of a weeklong venture into the life of retired missionaries. My sister Jaclyn, our friend Ann Marie, and myself were spending an entire week with 80+ year olds; most people would think that a punishment, we thought of it as a reward. To spend some few days in the presence of such blessed, humble saints was so inspiring. Anyway, I wanted to focus this post on just one of those dear souls.
Her name
is Caroline Stickley. She was raised in a home where church was a requirement, yet young Caroline never understood why. She enjoyed going and attending the services and singing the songs. Yet no matter how hard she tried, she felt something in it all was missing. It wasn't until 1947 that she realized what it was that was missing.
is Caroline Stickley. She was raised in a home where church was a requirement, yet young Caroline never understood why. She enjoyed going and attending the services and singing the songs. Yet no matter how hard she tried, she felt something in it all was missing. It wasn't until 1947 that she realized what it was that was missing. At Prairie Bible Institute a Rev. E. F. Tygert approached Caroline with a question regarding the date of her salvation. When she could not answer Rev Tygert used Hebrews 5:8-9
Hbr 5:8
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Hbr 5:9
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
She knew then and there that if she wanted salvation it necessarily required her obedience to that Savior as well. She was desperately torn between this world's pleasures and Christ. Her inner soul tried to mix the two in together and justify worldliness along with holiness in Christ. But as all Christians have found, it is impossible to have the world and Christ at the same time. It is one or the other. Finally, the moment of truth came. The battle for Caroline's allegiance and affections was at a climax. In her own words,
“That morning I settled the issue, took my stand for the Lord, and was gloriously and joyously saved. From then on, the Lord has taken me on with Himself, and I believe has done a real work of grace in my heart…when I finally did yield my heart to the Lord, I simultaneously yielded my life as well for foreign missionary service.”
Did you catch that last line? In our modern Christianity, obedience to Christ's global mandate often is completely absent for the first 10 years of a person's faith in Christ. Belief in Jesus, as Caroline's example shows, is necessarily followed by complete obedience to Him. That doesn't always mean foreign missions, but it DOES mean a changed and transformed life, prepared to go wherever He might beckon!
Caroline immediately began pursuing foreign missions and found her niche with Overseas Missionary Fellowship (OMF) an organazation founded by Hudson Taylor (he'll be highlighted in another post) in the mid 1800s. The following is an exerpt from a letter that OMF recently sent out about her:
'While Caroline felt an initial tug at her heart for the millions of lost Chinese, the closing of China led her to the Philippines, where she fell in love with the people she served. Her first term of service (1953-1957) was spent in Mindoro having small speaking meetings while first doing language study and then involved in tribal work under her senior missionary. The last year of her first term, she was involved in efforts to reach the Tadyawan tribe.
"From 1958-1959, she served in Calapan, Mindoro as the secretary to the Superintendent of the Philippines field. Her ten-year period of service beginning in 1959 in pioneer evangelism amongst the Tadyawan tribal people is documented in the book she wrote, Broken Snare, http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Snare-Caroline-Stickley/dp/0853631026/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205857462&sr=8-1, which OMF published in 1975. In 1986, reports on Caroline’s third term gave testimony to the valuable individual she was. Her Personnel Assessment read:
Just under ten years ago we began close association with Caroline. At that time she was just back from first furlough with no fellow worker, no real response from her beloved Tadyawan, and a summons to serve as Superintendent’s Sec. for a year. At that time, she made trips with us to the Agubang River, she seeking the Tadyawan, and we the Batangan in the same general area. She worked there with characteristic optimism and cheerfulness in spite of cruel disappointments. Now, at the close of third term, she has a full Tadyawan worker team, an encouraging work situation, and the same cheerful spirit as formerly.
Caroline is a most outstanding and valuable leader in the Philippines team who has so gained the confidence of her fellow workers that she has earned the position of “permanent” tribal representative on the Field Council.
Her Furlough Report was also highly complimentary. "Caroline is a really top quality missionary – keen mind, alert spiritually, given continued strength physically for a rugged tribal life…Through great discouragement in first term, with virtually no response from the Tadyawan, she remained true and bright, and now the Lord’s Hand is very evident in the establishment of a sturdy Tadyawan church. For years she, and fellow worker Dorsi Pack, have waited quietly upon the Lord for reinforcements to their tribal team, and now they have the Lord’s answer very wonderfully, in the calling of Hanni Kaspar to join them, and to make it possible for their furloughs to be staggered."
Unfortunately, Caroline’s 12-month furlough turned into 10 years before she could return to her beloved Philippines. In 1969, with her mother’s health failing, Caroline felt she must stay home to care her.
At the advanced age of 56, Caroline wondered if God could still use her in service in the Philippines. The response was a resounding, “Yes!” She moved to Davao City in Mindanao to assist as a housekeeper at the Mission Home, until she was reassigned to Manila where she served as the Administrative Assistant to the Area Director of the Philippines field for an additional eight years.
While Caroline may have retired from OMF in 1989, she didn’t retire from her service to the Lord. Her most current outreach was in teaching English to three Chinese ladies, which she was doing the day she fell ill and had to be admitted to the hospital.
Before being taken into a dangerous liver stent procedure the last day of February, Caroline excitedly expressed, “Just think! I might wake up in the arms of Jesus!” Well, it took a few days longer then she desired, but she is now truly resting in those blessed arms that she so strongly craved and so faithfully served.'
I read that...and I go..."Wow." What an amazing woman. She never married or had kids, although she would have been a terrific wife, mother, grandmother, etc. However, she saw a greater reward than motherhood, she yielded her life to see Christ magnified in the streets of the Phillipines! She spent her youth, singleness, fortune, time and energy working among a people lost in the darkness of sin and idol worship.
The thing I want us to catch sight of is that God has placed a calling on every one of His children. It is different for us all, but essentially it is to live our lives recklessly to show Him as glorious to the world. Caroline embodied that attitude. In the short time we spent with her, she impressed me by her feminine grace that was no disguise for her brave tenacity for the kingdom of God. In an age of feminism she displayed what a true woman is. She would tell single young women, "Don't worry, Jesus is a grand lover. You don't need to get married to serve Him. Just serve Him." What a profound way to live. How she displayed a faith in God to this world.
Now, Caroline Stickley was a flawed woman. And as I blog on these other saints we must remember that the were used mightily by God despite their failings. However, that showed how powerful God's grace is, because they allowed it to ignite in them a holiness unrivaled by worldly pleasures. Caroline died about 2 weeks ago. She has now received her reward in full, and He is a Great Reward. She waited long to see her bridegroom and He finally swept her off her feet. Even on her deathbed she told the doctors and nurses to get her book and read it. She would tell them that it was ok if she died because she was going to her Jesus. And she said it with a smile knowing that her life was NOT wasted. This woman, unbeknown to the majority of the world, was a glittering example of godly, Christ-built femininity. The scripture speaks true when it says that the world is unworthy of such people. Now that she beat us home, I can praise her works and faith, because it is a testimony of God's glorious work in a seemingly insignificant woman's life.
Caroline Stickley never became a "Mrs." Yet, she never looked back. She put her hand to the plow and furrowed the ground, and planted seeds, and watered and cultivated for her Savior's kingdom. She commissioned Jaclyn, Ann Marie and myself with this, "This life in obedience to Christ, it's worth it. Oh, every minute of surrender is worth it."
My friends take hold of that and grip it tight! Blessings!
For His renown,
BenZ
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2 comments:
Thank you for posting this.
Josh
I love her.
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