Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Their view: Hardships in life can build character

Clovis resident Judy Brandon writes a weekly religion column for our sister paper, the Clovis News Journal. Here is her latest effort:

What does it mean to serve the Lord with joy? I just read a book by W.P. Livingston titled, "Mary Slessor of Calabar."

Livingston traces Mary Slessor's experiences in the harshest of conditions in the 18th century in Africa, yet she served the Lord with joy even in her difficult circumstances.

Her early childhood was wrought with alcoholism in the home since she had a drunkard for a father. Her mother was a godly woman and her mother's forbearance under difficult circumstances, her prayers and devotional life saved the family even amidst the worst of situations. They were extremely poor, so to help the family, Mary started work at an early age in the factories in Scotland. She worked, 12 hours a day and six days a week.

But at a young age she felt the call to serve God in Africa. When she was 12 years old, she heard a missionary talk of Calabar in Africa, so she decided that Calabar was where she would go. At 29, she left her family in Scotland for Calabar.

In Africa she became known as the "white Ma" and after some months, the people there began to trust and respect her. She told of Jesus and his love for them. She held worship services in front of her mud hut and took medicines and tended to those in need. She held what was called "palavers" and settled disputes among the tribes. Anyone going to the village where she first began to serve might find her on top of her roof, putting tin on her roof or in her mud hut nursing some ailing children that she had rescued.

She worked and lived among the cannibals, walked in the bush alone, was attacked by a hippopotamus, was charged at by wild animals, was sick with jungle diseases, was hungry many days, was alone in the bush at night by herself many times and was alone in her work with the people of the tribes. ... but still she served with joy.

I am done with complaining, grumbling and nitpicking about things that really don't matter. That is what I learned from reading about the life of Mary Slessor.