Bravery Through Faith
Handed to Sue’s aunt by a family member, who was also a member of the Huguenot Society, was a document that detailed the bravery of one Louise Guichard who was born in 1709 and was a Huguenot. Louise was Sue’s 5x great aunt (sister of her 5x great grandfather.)
The Huguenots were members of the French Protestant Church, many of whom, in the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries, left their homes in France to escape the hostility of Catholics and severe persecution under Louis XIV. Over 50,000 of these refugees came to the British Isles.
Louise escaped from France on a ship, concealed in a cask. When the soldiers came on board to search the ship for escaping refugees, one of the soldiers thrust his sword into the cask wounding Louise in the arm. Unflinchingly she carefully wiped the sword of blood as it was withdrawn from her arm and thus escaped undetected.
Take nothing away from the bravery of a young girl escaping with her life, from the persecution of a monarchy intent on destroying all that had faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus Himself said:
Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.’ (John 15:20)
And indeed, we read in the Bible of the persecution that Jesus suffered and the greatest act of love that He showed us when He allowed Himself to be led to the cross at Calvary, where He was Crucified - His sinless life given as a sacrifice to pay the price for our sin.
What a Saviour!