Each week we try to post a profile of a Salvationist, past or present (nothing future, yet). The hope is that by looking at their life of service and submission to God’s glorious life we might inspired to greater Kingdom living. Take a read through this profile (largely taken from the Army’s international heritage website) and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you how you could reflect Christ to the world.
With that in mind, meet Hetty Hill (Hetty is short for Hettillina, just for your information); a Captain from the UK around the 1950’s. In all seriousness, what is striking about her story (which I just read this morning) is that she 1) Saw a need in her community, and 2) Did something about it.
In Hetty Hill’s heyday (2 points for alliteration?), the Salvation Army in the UK organized a door-to-door donation program named Harvest Festival. One day, Captain Hill was making her rounds when she came to the house of Mr. and Mrs. Rawlence. After being welcomed in and catered to with a little snack, Captain Hill quicly came to the realization that the Rawlence’s were indeed Christian folk. And after some conversation, the Rawlence’s revealed to the Captain a need which they though the Captain and the Salvation Army might be able to help with:
Mrs. Rawlence pressed, “Captain, will you people do something for the dear Gypsy people around here, especially for the boys and girls? I feel sure they are searching for something higher, and I believe, if you will, that you people can help them” (taken directly from the International Heritage Centre website).
Up to this point, Captain Hill had no idea that not too far from the Rawlence home lay an encampment of Gypsies. After leaving the Rawlence home, she felt that she needed to do something, and within days she rounded up a group from her Corps to do an Open Air meeting in the camp. The story goes that as the bandmaster and Corps members were singing their heads off, the Captain and her Lieutenant went around and made visits to each hut.
They were welcomed into one mud-floored home belonging to a new mother of a three-day-old infant and her mother. The Captain reportedly shared God’s love with them, and the response of the grandmother is so priceless that I had copy it verbatim from the International Heritage Website: “Hetty talked to the Mother about God’s love whilst the Grandma looked on with great pride. ‘You know lady,’ said Grandma, ‘it has been just like Heaven tonight with your lovely band to come here. You see, nobody, only the nurse and doctor ever comes down here. Please do come again.’ Then Hetty took the new baby into her arms and offered prayer.”
She knew that she and her camp were rejected by society. No one bothered to visit, to talk, to bring something like Heaven to them.
The challenge is that we must be willing to step outside of ourselves, our circle of friends, and go to the places we know are hurting. And many times, these places aren’t very far from us. We don’t have to go half way around the world to find someone in need.
They could be in your class.
They could be just a couple of doors down.
They could be a few lunch tables away.
The reality is, you know there’s that one girl that no one talks to, they only talk about her. And it’s never anything nice.
Or, maybe you approach people, but you’re only there physically. Your body’s there, but you struggle to actually care about who they are or what they’re saying (This, personally, is a hard one for me).
The key in approaching those in need, anyone really, is that we must do it in love. We must genuinely love people. So, ask the Lord to open your eyes to the situations around you. Ask Him to fill you with love for them. Ask Him to give you the boldness to evangelize and the Words to speak.
I dare you. Pray it, meaningfully pray it, and watch God act. Be ready. Get set. Here we go.
(Taken and adapted from The Salvation Army’s International Heritage Centre’s website)