God's Design

Gladys Aylward (1902 - 1970) was born into a working class family of two sisters and one brother. Gladys was unlike her two sisters. They were tall and Gladys was short. They had beautiful, long, curly hair and Gladys had short, straight dark hair. She became a parlor maid at the age of only 14.

Her call to missions came about when she attended a revival at when she was 18 in which the preacher expounded on giving one’s life over to the service of the Lord. The message struck a chord in her heart and an awakening desire to serve on the missionary field began to blossom. Having spent the last four years serving others surely gave her an unique insight to a servant's heart.

God called her to serve in the mission field of China. While most foreigners towered above the Chinese people, Gladys short stature fit right in. Her straight, short hair was similar to the people God called her to serve. She may have grown up wishing she was more like her sisters but God had another plan for her life. God’s design is always perfect. He has never made a mistake. Accept God’s design for your life.