FAITH CHRONICLES: LOUISA M.R. STEAD - THE MISSIONARY WHO LOST EVERYTHING BUT INSPIRED US ALL
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| LOUISA M.R. STEAD |
Louisa M.R was born in Dover, England in 1850. She discovered the call of God over her life to be a missionary at a very young age. She started serving God wholeheartedly believing all of God's words.
At the age of 25, she got married to Mr Stead and a year later she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl.
They named her Lily, when Lily was around 9yrs old. Louisa and her husband decided to go on a picnic by the seaside with their daughter.
While eating and enjoying their picnic, there was a cry for help a young boy was drowning,
Louisa’s husband felt compelled to help this little boy and he got up from where he was sitting and headed for the waters. .
He drowned in the process with the boy.
Louisa was unable to maintain and support her daughter financially, but somehow whenever Louisa was at her last or had nothing to eat some good soul would feel led to bake a pie, or rest a basket outside her door.
So that she and Lily can have something to eat, Louisa saw this as the grace of God that provided for her in her time of trial and need; through this her faith and trust in God only grew stronger.
She banked on faith for life and restoration for many years.
Around 1880, Mrs Stead went to South Africa, and served as a missionary some 15 years.
About that time he got married another man Robert Wodehouse but her health deteoriated afterward.
She returned to America in 1895 to recover her health, but once again went into missions in Zimbabwe in 1901.
Her daughter Lily (who survived the accident that killed her father) married D. A. Carson and became a missionary like her mother.
She remembered that God was always there for her throughout the good and bad times in her life.
Louisa was then inspired to write the poem “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus” to show her faithfulness of God. Which was later composed into hymns with stanzas
Faith is trans-generational and serious believers should see to it that we pass the baton of faith to others.
I know you love the song “Tis so sweet to Trust in Jesus just to take him at his word”.
I am sure many of you might have heard it but never knew the tragic trial that put pen and paper to these words.
Faith keeps us alive to God's faithfulness despite many of life's troubles... William J. Kirkpatrick put music to Louisa Stead’s poem and it was published in several hymnals.
’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!
Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me
’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!
Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.
I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end
Today this song has blessed many souls even in the times of their own perils and tragedies in life
She lost all to get us all on the importance of faith.
Faith walks is how faith works.
January 18th 1917, at Mutare, about 50 miles from Umtali present day Zimbabwe, the great woman went home to be with the Lord at the age of 67.
She was buried at Penkridge, Zimbabwe.
She died serving the Lord.
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