(Un)remarkable

(Un)remarkable, subtitled “Ten ordinary women who impacted the world for Christ”, is a group of vignettes about ten women who were, in fact, most remarkable. Some of the names, like Corrie ten Boom and Susannah Wesley, you may recognize; others, like Sabrina Wurmbrandt and Phillis Wheatley Peters, you may not.

As a young girl, I loved reading biographies. Sadly, as I have grown older, I have gotten away from reading them. In the introduction to the book, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth reminds us why these biographies are so important: “if our spiritual nourishment consists largely of blogs and books written by modern-day men and women who have lived a mere three, four, or five decades in affluent America, we risk spiritual malnourishment.” This book reminds me why biographies are worth reading, and challenges me to add more biographies to my reading list.

C.S. Lewis once wrote that reading about these faithful believers of the past serves as a lens through which we can see Christ more clearly. Reading about the lives of godly men and women in the past encourages us to live beyond our present circumstances.

The first woman we meet in this book is Mary Slessor. I remember reading about her when I was a young girl. Mary had a tough upbringing in Scotland, and met Christ as a teenager. She longed to share Christ with the world, but didn’t think she fit the mold of a missionary. It was, after all, unusual for young women to go barefoot and climb trees in the mid-1800s, as Mary did. Eventually, at age 28, Mary left Scotland for Calabar (in present-day Nigeria). Mary Slessor lived in Africa for more than 40 years, eventually being known as Ma Akamba, the Great Mother, as Mary, who had no children of her own, became a refuge for young children.

Like the other women in this book, Mary exemplified unselfish, dedicated devotion to Christ. Mary Slessor considered Jesus the answer to every human need.

(Un)remarkable is a short book, less than 100 pages, filled with inspiration and encouragement. Each of the stories of these remarkable women is followed by a “Take it home, make it personal” segment with some thought-provoking questions for you to think about, often also accompanied by a passage of scripture to meditate on.

This is a small book that packs a powerful punch. I urge you to read it for yourself.

(Un)remarkable is available from Revive Our Hearts ministries (www.reviveourhearts.com).

“Everything no matter how seemingly secular or small is God’s work for the moment and worthy of our best endeavor.” - Mary Slessor