James Hudson Taylor
In January, before we had heard anything about our little boy, I read a short biography of Hudson Taylor to my daughters at bedtime. I was struck by this man who followed God with every ounce of his being. Joel and I discussed it, and we decided that if we ever had a son, we would name him Hudson. Little did we know, that God was already preparing so much more than we could have imagined!
While in the thick of things, before our Hudson came to live with us, we were struck by a quote we heard from his namesake, Hudson Taylor, that helped guide us in our decisions:
"To me it seemed that the teaching of God's Word was unmistakably clear: 'Owe no man anything.' To borrow money implied to my mind a contradiction of Scripture--a confession that God had withheld some good thing, and determination to get for ourselves what He had not given."
Taking this to heart was a big step of faith for us. Many involved in the adoption strongly wanted us to take a loan out and wait for grants later to simplify things. In fact, God did not supply all the funds immediately, and He seemed to give just enough to take the next step, making much room for faith and trust. This principle ended up being a tremendous blessing, however, as each piece of the puzzle was put in place in a miraculous way, we were confirmed over and over that this big life change really was His plan for us, and He will not leave us as the years go by and things get more difficult with Hudson's health. Not to mention that how God chooses to provide is far more creative, and the people He chooses to help are a blessing and testimony in themselves! Hudson will have quite the story to look back on someday!
The more we learn about Hudson Taylor, the more I am confirmed that God knew what He was doing, planting this name upon our son. The following are some quotes from Hudson Taylor and his biographer that have meant a lot to us. I will continue to add to them when I find others!
"I turned homeward with a heart enjoying rest such as it had been a stranger to for months, and with an assurance that the Lord would bless His own work and that I should share in the blessing."
"Faith is here and faithfulness down to the smallest detail. Devotion is here and self sacrifice, leading to unremitting labor. Prayer is here, patient persevering prayer, wonderfully answered. But there is something more: there is the deep, prolonged exercise of a soul that is following hard after God. There is the gradual strengthening here of a man called to walk by faith not by sight; the unutterable confidence of a heart cleaving to God and God alone, which pleases Him as nothing else can."
"Fifty pounds! There it lay on the table... Suppose he had held back from taking charge of the hospital on accountof lack of means, or lack of faith rather? Lack of faith--with such promises and such a God!"
"And are we not told to seek first the kingdom of God-not the means to advance it-and that "all these things" shall be added unto us?"
Convert of his ministry: "My father sought the Truth," he continued sadly, "and died without finding it. Oh why did you not come sooner?" Biographer: It was a moment, the pain of which Hudson Taylor could never forget, and which deepened his earnestness in seeking to bring Christ to those who might still be reached.
(Speaking of Hudson and his wife, Maria) "Two whom God hath chosen to walk together before Him."
"To those who have never been called to prove the faithfulness of the covenant keeping God... it might seem a hazardous experiment to send twenty-four European evangelists to a distant heathen land "with only God to look to;" but in one whose privilege it has been, though many years, to put that God to the test--at home and abroad, by land and sea, in sickness and in health, in dangers, necessities, and at the gates of death--such apprehensions would be wholly inexcusable."
"That Word said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things (food and raiment) shall be added unto you." If anyone not believe that God did not speak the Truth, it would be better for him not to go to China to propagate the faith; if he did believe it, surely the promise sufficed. Again we have the assurance, "No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." If anyone did not mean to walk uprightly, he had better stay at home; if he did mean to walk uprightly, he had all he needed in the shape of a guarantee fund. God owns all the gold and silver in the world, and the cattle on a thousand hills. We need not be vegetarians!"
"There are plenty of ravens in China, and the Lord could send them again with bread and flesh... He sustained three million Isrealites in the wilderness for forty years. We do not expect Him to send three million missionaries to China, but if He did, He would have ample means to sustain them all."
"God's work, done in God's way, will never lack God's supplies."
While in the thick of things, before our Hudson came to live with us, we were struck by a quote we heard from his namesake, Hudson Taylor, that helped guide us in our decisions:
"To me it seemed that the teaching of God's Word was unmistakably clear: 'Owe no man anything.' To borrow money implied to my mind a contradiction of Scripture--a confession that God had withheld some good thing, and determination to get for ourselves what He had not given."
Taking this to heart was a big step of faith for us. Many involved in the adoption strongly wanted us to take a loan out and wait for grants later to simplify things. In fact, God did not supply all the funds immediately, and He seemed to give just enough to take the next step, making much room for faith and trust. This principle ended up being a tremendous blessing, however, as each piece of the puzzle was put in place in a miraculous way, we were confirmed over and over that this big life change really was His plan for us, and He will not leave us as the years go by and things get more difficult with Hudson's health. Not to mention that how God chooses to provide is far more creative, and the people He chooses to help are a blessing and testimony in themselves! Hudson will have quite the story to look back on someday!
The more we learn about Hudson Taylor, the more I am confirmed that God knew what He was doing, planting this name upon our son. The following are some quotes from Hudson Taylor and his biographer that have meant a lot to us. I will continue to add to them when I find others!
"I turned homeward with a heart enjoying rest such as it had been a stranger to for months, and with an assurance that the Lord would bless His own work and that I should share in the blessing."
"Faith is here and faithfulness down to the smallest detail. Devotion is here and self sacrifice, leading to unremitting labor. Prayer is here, patient persevering prayer, wonderfully answered. But there is something more: there is the deep, prolonged exercise of a soul that is following hard after God. There is the gradual strengthening here of a man called to walk by faith not by sight; the unutterable confidence of a heart cleaving to God and God alone, which pleases Him as nothing else can."
"Fifty pounds! There it lay on the table... Suppose he had held back from taking charge of the hospital on accountof lack of means, or lack of faith rather? Lack of faith--with such promises and such a God!"
"And are we not told to seek first the kingdom of God-not the means to advance it-and that "all these things" shall be added unto us?"
Convert of his ministry: "My father sought the Truth," he continued sadly, "and died without finding it. Oh why did you not come sooner?" Biographer: It was a moment, the pain of which Hudson Taylor could never forget, and which deepened his earnestness in seeking to bring Christ to those who might still be reached.
(Speaking of Hudson and his wife, Maria) "Two whom God hath chosen to walk together before Him."
"To those who have never been called to prove the faithfulness of the covenant keeping God... it might seem a hazardous experiment to send twenty-four European evangelists to a distant heathen land "with only God to look to;" but in one whose privilege it has been, though many years, to put that God to the test--at home and abroad, by land and sea, in sickness and in health, in dangers, necessities, and at the gates of death--such apprehensions would be wholly inexcusable."
"That Word said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things (food and raiment) shall be added unto you." If anyone not believe that God did not speak the Truth, it would be better for him not to go to China to propagate the faith; if he did believe it, surely the promise sufficed. Again we have the assurance, "No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." If anyone did not mean to walk uprightly, he had better stay at home; if he did mean to walk uprightly, he had all he needed in the shape of a guarantee fund. God owns all the gold and silver in the world, and the cattle on a thousand hills. We need not be vegetarians!"
"There are plenty of ravens in China, and the Lord could send them again with bread and flesh... He sustained three million Isrealites in the wilderness for forty years. We do not expect Him to send three million missionaries to China, but if He did, He would have ample means to sustain them all."
"God's work, done in God's way, will never lack God's supplies."