The excerpt below was taken with permission from the book Faithful Women and Her Wonderful God, by Christmas Piper, Faithful Editor.
In 1876, when Lilias was twenty-three, she traveled around Europe with her mother and sister. Seeing the Swiss Alps, she “was so dazzled by the majestic beauty of the Alps that it burst into tears. “sensitive eyes and soul with colors and light that his right hand and brush expressed on the canvas.
- During this trip two important friendships began.
- First.
- At a convention in Switzerland.
- She met Blanche Haworth.
- Who became a close friend and.
- Within a decade.
- Would become her closest mission partner and friend.
In Venice, Ms. Trotter discovered that John Ruskin was staying at the same hotel. Ruskin was a “artist, critic, philosopher and prominent figure of Victorian England. “He was the voice of art in the world of his time. If he said anything, it was good, it was really good. Trotter sent a pack of paintings to her daughter Lilias’ gouache, with a note: “Mrs. Alex Trotter is happy to send Professor Ruskin the paintings to her daughter’s gouache. Is Mrs. Trotter prepared to hear that he does not approve of them?”? She began drawing as a child and received little education. However, if Mrs Trotter could have Mr Ruskin’s opinion, would it be useful?
Although Lilias was so easily moved to tears by beauty and loved to paint, it was true that she had not received any formal training. His talent was a gift. Her sister remembered with ironic admiration: “In drawing, happily she did a small landscaping course?Internal? From which could not profit be made ?.
Ruskin described the paintings he received as “meticulous and extremely correct work. “Although the words sounded balanced, his reaction reflected more enthusiasm. He showed the Trotters the treasures of Venetian art, gave Lilias homework and invited her to be his student on her return to England. He took her under his care, was his tutor and foreseeed a great future as a world-class artist in advance. She and her sister frequently visited Ruskin at her home in the Lake District, where she helped Lilias improve her skills. These weeks immersed in color, form and beauty rejuvenated the minds of this young woman who spent the rest of her time in London’s darkest neighbourhoods.
However, when Lilias was twenty-six, Ruskin was frustrated with her for allowing herself to be distracted from her art. I didn’t approve of lilias sharing time during the week. I spent a lot of time on the streets of London and I didn’t. I didn’t spend enough time painting. Then Ruskin showed him the glory of the artistic life ahead of him. If she was in art, she said, “I would be the greatest painter of the time and make immortal works. “
It was a distressing decision. In parallel with his life, there were two totally exciting activities: art and ministry. She knew it was impossible to give heslly to these two passions, it is not possible to fully serve two different amos, but Lilias understood that it is possible for one passion to become the servant of the other, and that is why she had to decide. what passion would become the owner of the other.
For several days, Lilias reflected on her desires and prayed to God to clarify her call. Her friend Blanche Pigott wrote, “She told me that she felt those days were far away in several years. “
As he wrote to me, he said, “You will understand that it is not out of vanity that I praise Ruskin for my work. I don’t think it’s out of vanity, because I have no authority over my gift, nor do I have authority over my hair color. Did I tell you why I need prayer to clearly discover God’s will?The intense pleasure she felt at the prospect of a life dedicated to art and mixed with art only pushed her more intensely to be guided by God’s unique will.
He loved his art and knew that God could use his influence in this area for the purposes of his Kingdom. But he finally said, “Now I see, as clear as day, that I can’t devote myself to painting as he [Ruskin] pretends and still keep looking for “your justice. “
He was now free to surrender wholeheartedly to the Ministry of London. She remained friends with Ruskin for the rest of her life, even though he never understood her decision. Have you always loved art? And how can we not?love, since his soul was so tenderly vulnerable to beauty?But now he admired his art as a gift and not as a passion. Much later, she understood even more deeply the importance of focusing on Jesus, rather than focusing on all good things. gives us.
Has it ever been easier to live in several harmless worlds at the same time?Art, music, social sciences, games, driving, doing a job, etc. and, among these activities, take the risk of? Well, hide the best
It is easy to know if our lives are focused and, in this case, what are they focusing on What are our thoughts focused on when our consciousness returns in the morning ?, Where do they fluctuate when pressure is released throughout the day?Do you have the courage to ask God for this?
How do we put things at the center of the world of optics?Don’t look at what we need to leave, but this point to focus on. Direct the vision of your soul to Jesus and look at him insistently; then a strange darkness will invade all that is outside of Him.
For more than a decade, Lilias worked with the Welbeck Street Institute, continuing her work when the institute joined other organizations to form the first YWCA Christian Association of Young Women. Welbeck’s objectives were aligned with the aim of the new YWCA: “to unite young women in prayer and evangelization, to promote Christian friendship and mutual help, and to promote the social, cultural and moral well-being of its members. “
For Lilias, the ministry meant helping to create and manage places and programs for poor working girls, so that they would have meals and a place to sleep. It meant teaching the Bible to women and children. She was involved in rescue operations, i. e. she was present where women needed help getting out of difficult situations; maybe “sit all night with a poor, unbalanced girl to keep her from killing hes he or she,” or maybe take to the streets to give prostitutes a safe place.
For many girls who lived abandoned in the city without skills or means of work, was [prostitution] a tragic resource?Lilias crossed the streets fearlessly to save these bums?sleep at night and train them in skills that would give them a job, and introduce them to the Good Shepherd.
Lilias’ ministerial elections had direct implications for her personal life. Victorian England had a very clear sense of class. By choosing to work among the most despicable people in society, she was excluded from the circle of friends in fashion society. different women didn’t “work. ” And, certainly, they did not walk alone or frequent these points of the city, mothers, at the level of the society in which Lilias was born, would not want for their children a woman who behaves so badly. remain single.