How I ended up at a Bible study with one of my favorite Christian authors

Introducing Sally Clarkson

Have you ever experienced a moment wherein it seemed you were watching yourself from the outside as time stood still, full of both shock and awe at what was occurring… as if the moment itself was too surreal, too incredible, that there was no way it could be true? This was something I experienced a couple of weeks ago. 

Before I get to that moment, a little background. One of the most prominent hardships we have known since landing on the mission field is loneliness. Especially since we arrived in an island nation in the middle of a people-separating pandemic, which only served to close the open spaces of reserved indigenous hearts even further. Building community has not been a simple process, and during our time on the field, we have had moments where we wondered if all the pain was worth it. We have experienced broken trust and had vulnerability taken advantage of, amongst other difficulties. Things move much slower in this country with regard to building relationships than we are accustomed to. Yet, the Lord has been near through it all, as He always is, and He has continued to bring people into our lives that have come with kindness, compassion, and a welcoming heart, through whom we have experienced the overwhelming love of Christ. 

One of those dear friends recently invited me to a women’s group here in Oxford that she said had been encouraging and edifying for her, and she hoped it would be the same for me. She was very right in that it was something I both desperately needed and had also been praying for. I was incredibly grateful for her following through with the Lord’s prompting to invite me. The group was meeting at night, and this would be the first time I would be driving through the city of Oxford alone at night. I have grown in my confidence and abilities in driving here in England, but nighttime in bustling Oxford is quite different. To put things into perspective, when Gino and I came to England on our honeymoon, the host of the property where we were staying strongly discouraged us from driving through Oxford, as it was a place that she, herself, avoided due to its difficulty. It’s definitely not a place I ever thought I would come to drive, let alone at night, but God has continued to surprise us. 

So there I was, a ball of nerves both from the drive over and the re-opening of my heart to being vulnerable again after a season in which it was wounded. I did as much as possible of our bedtime routine, left the kiddos in Gino’s hands, and headed out. Parking is challenging in Oxford, and to make matters worse, the maps app led me to the incorrect public parking lot. After going in circles and turning myself around in narrow alleys, I finally managed to find the correct place. I made my way to Pusey House, a beautiful institution founded in 1884. Its architecture, both externally and within its walls, is just what you’d imagine when thinking of quintessential Oxford, England. My friend met me, and we walked up a spiral staircase and entered a small room at the end of the hallway.

We sat down on a lush leather sofa next to a roaring fireplace situated in between bookshelves lined with rows of books. I was introduced to the group leader, Sally, who was sitting right next to us. Everyone settled in, and I prepared my heart to listen. Sally introduced the book the group had been working through, which was one by a well-known author I have been fond of for years and whose books are a part of my current reading rotation. The book was “Own Your Life” by Sally Clarkson. As this kind woman continued to speak, suddenly, everything came together in such a profound way, it nearly dropped me to the floor. This woman, this Sally who was leading our group—she was in fact, the very author whose book we were about to discuss. She was Sally Clarkson. The woman whose books I have read. The woman whose words have encouraged me greatly, especially most recently in our current season of life. I could not believe it. When she asked the new members of the group if we knew about her, I said something along the lines of “just one minute ago, it all came together for me, and my heart is racing, and I feel a bit flush haha” and we all had a really good laugh. 

Again… I could not believe it. As far as I knew, Sally resided in the States and I did not know she had also been called by the Lord to do ministry in England—specifically Oxford. Her family’s journey to ministry in the UK began as a step of faith in which they rented a home before even having a visa with complete trust in the Lord and His provision. Sally was later specifically asked by this historic church in Oxford to develop a ministry to reach out to women and moms. This opportunity was such a chance encounter that it will be something I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. There is so much to this situation that aligns with our own journey and our own prayers that it fills my heart with such overwhelming, incredible joy to be seen and loved by our gracious, merciful Lord.

For those who are not acquainted with Sally, she is not only a renowned author, she is also an experienced ministry leader who has devoted her life to doing a wide array of incredible work for the Kingdom of God. She has been in missions, and started her own ministry that is now full of many ministries focused on Christian womanhood and motherhood, faith, home, parenting, discipleship, family faith formation, books, home education, and so on. She conducts workshops, conferences, and homeschool conventions. She has served families all over the world, has a blog, podcast, and intentional community and a clear heart for discipleship. As she states on her website, her “heart for ministry started beating the moment she accepted Christ.” She is incredibly inspiring and has already had such an impact on my life. 

So as I sat on this sofa, in a small firelit room within a stunning Oxford building dripping with history, it was as if time froze, and all I could hear within my racing heart was the small whisper: “Yes. Yes, this is real. So very real.” As the night went on and Sally ministered to us, and we shared our stories, there was so much that spoke directly to our journey. I had women pray for me after feeling prompted to do so, speaking words that reached the depths of my soul. I knew I was there in that very room for a very specific purpose. You see, we just never know what God can do with one “yes.” With one obedient step, He can bring us on a journey so unexpected and more incredible than we ourselves could ever imagine. Our heart of obedience is an outworking of assurance that we truly know Jesus. As we serve the Lord in humility and continue to step in obedience, we demonstrate our faithfulness to Him and commitment to glorify Him—and this opens avenues of blessing and sanctification. 

Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! 
Psalm 128:1

Sally reminded us that we truly need to be there for one another. We need to do life together. We need to come to one another not with expectations of perfection or judgment but with compassion, kindness, and love. Just as Christ has called us to do in the most important commandment second to loving God: “love your neighbor as yourself.”

The following week, I found myself sitting in Sally Clarkson’s Oxford home, sharing a potluck meal with women from all over the world. Women who spoke with different accents, who had intricate stories and their own hardships to share and get support for. Most currently live in the region, but some drove long distances, and one woman was here for just a few days from Israel with her own incredible story of faith and opportunity for us to partner with her in prayer. Sitting in this room, breaking bread together, laughing, encouraging, and praying for one another, it was a moment that radiated with the love of God. It was a safe space, something we all need. Another providential occurrence also took place that night that I hope to share the story of someday. 

I really do feel as if I’m writing someone else’s story or reading about this in the various accounts found in the Bible. God has left His fingerprints all over because He is sovereign and intimately involved with the very intricacies of life itself. And what this revealed to me is the reminder that we are a part of the biggest, most profound, and awe-inspiring story there is, and that is the redemptive plan of God to reconcile the world unto Himself through the person and work of Christ. 

Sally also shared a personal story that recently happened to her. She was a part of a missions team that went to communist Poland in 1977 to engage with unreached people. She said it was incredibly difficult living there. It was especially challenging to communicate with and encourage people. She often wondered if any of it mattered, if any of it was making a difference. Fast forward to just this past week at a separate Bible study she leads. As she was sharing this story, a young Oxford student gasped. She went on to tell her that years ago, her grandfather gave her a book that he had been given by her parents, whose lives had been changed forever by it. It was a book that was shared by Sally’s own group in Poland so many years ago. It had changed the lives of this entire family, and now the young girl who was shown the love of Christ through her grandfather going through this book with her was sitting across from Sally, as an Oxford student with a heart on fire for the Lord. She shared that it reminded her what we do does matter! Even when we can’t see what God is doing, He is moving!

Our life on mission has been very difficult, and we have been knocked down to the ground many times, but we have pressed on because Christ is abundantly worth it. In Him awaits eternal hope. In Him, lost and aching hearts find rest, transformation, and transcendent unconditional love. Sally has demonstrated this commitment to share His love through a lifetime of perseverance in faith. She has outpoured her life for the sake of others through many challenges and trials that the Lord has brought her through and decades later, even into her 70s she is still “running the race”! (Hebrews 12:1-2) 

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Favorite Quotes

“Memorable and momentous occasions rarely announce themselves ahead of time, but often tiptoe quietly into the corners of our lives and yet leave a profound influence.”

“There is no single way to serve God, but the point is this: We each have only one life to live to tell a story about Him, about His ways, about His love. And if we are Christ followers, then God calls us to use our gifts, to exercise our faith, and to become salt and light right where we are.”

“We have to learn to lean into life as something beautiful even if it is not exactly what we expected. Trusting that God works all things together for the good despite the challenges we face is a gift of worship we give to God. Acceptance with humility must eventually come to each of us if we are to please God and not always fight against the limitations of our own family pattern.”

“God desires to work supernaturally through normal people who are willing to follow Him wholeheartedly and reflect His glory.”

“In a culture that often views a child in terms of the expense in time and money he will cost in his lifetime, how important it is to intentionally recognize the infinite value of a tiny human being, created with the very imprint and image of God on his life, and to understand that this little one’s life will have consequences for eternity.”

“Now is the time; today is the day. Own your life. Heaven will tell your story throughout eternity. May you live one worth telling. May you leave a legacy of vibrant faith and a pathway for others that is lavished with generous love and the kiss of God’s favor each step along the way.”