Jim & Elisabeth Elliot are two of my heroes of the faith. I have been so blessed by their lives, sacrifice and story through the writings of Elisabeth. Their lives/her books have impacted me more than anyone or anything else (besides God and the Bible of course). Needless to say, I was SO excited when I heard about this book! Here their only child Valarie publishes never-before seen letters and journal entries of Jim & Elisabeth from the time they first became friends at Wheaton College in 1947, through their long-awaited wedding in 1953, and closes with them as a happy family of three at Valerie's birth in 1955.
Can God be trusted to write the story of our lives? Even more so, can He be trusted with the pen when it comes to our desire for love and marriage and family? The story of Jim and Elisabeth shows us that YES, He absolutely can! In their story there is struggles with singleness, there is loving someone and yet not feeling God's leading to pursue marriage, there is SO much waiting and patience.... but there is a beauty that is beyond what some of us have ever witnessed. Their story is one of faith, hope and true love. Not the fairy-tale, whirlwind love you see in the movies... this is a deep, eternal and holy love. All loves stories are different and we shouldn't compare too much - my husband and I had more of a whirlwind/fast relationship (only 9 months between when we met and when we got married). But this is a beautiful testimony to what happens when two people are fully surrendered to God and willing to wait on Him rather than pursue their own desires. It will be sure to bless and encourage your heart as you seek to pursue and wait on the Lord for the desires of your heart.
There were so many beautiful quotes, as well as poetry written by both Jim and Elisabeth (let me tell you, Jim was an eloquent writer!) it's hard to pull out just a few quotes for you.
Jim and Elisabeth dealt with a lot of people expressing "concern" or criticizing their relationship (they loved each other but were not in a formal relationship). But Valarie writes, "As long as God's will was uppermost in each of their hearts, they were under no obligation to explain themselves to anyone or give out the details of their prayer life and relationship dynamics." (p. 111)
"... the way for [Elisabeth] to love [Jim] best and most appropriately - most Biblically, she determined - was by more and more loving the Lord Jesus." (p. 47)
This was Valarie's favorite quote from her father, from a journal entry on October 28 1948: "Prayed a strange prayer today. I covenanted with my Rather that He would either do two things - either glorify Himself to the utmost in me, or slay me. By His grace I shall not have His second best. He heard me, I believe, so that now I have nothing to look forward to but a life of sacrificial sonship (that's how my Savior was glorified, my soul) or heaven soon. Perhaps tomorrow. What a prospect!" (p. 31)
And this is probably my favorite from the book:
"I can say, without any risk of overstating, much of my own decision to stay pure until marriage came from my mother's joy in telling me about their marriage, and about her and my father's determination to keep their promises to God during this time in their lives. They each ached for each other, as all lovers do. But as the woman, she understood well that she, even more than my dad, was the one in greater control over how much leeway they allowed themselves in touch and enticement. There is much wisdom on display here, amid much tension. Be inspired by it. This is an actual demonstration of God wanting His children's best and of His children believing - despite their passion, despite their feelings - that nothing, nothing, offers any substitute. Times may be different today, but this truth is not. And never will be." (p. 197, italics hers, bold added)
Be inspired brothers and sisters! Be inspired to live a life fully surrendered to God.
