/ What if the person least likely to lead the sickly child
who dropped out of school?
The girl scarred by trauma, the one who struggled with self-doubt was the very one
God chose to carry a message to the world.
Today we are stepping into the remarkable story of a young woman
who, against all odds, became a voice of hope and faith for millions.
Ellen Gould Harman was born in 1827 in Maine.
She was one of eight children in a deeply religious Methodist family.
But when she was nine years old, her life changed dramatically.
While walking home from school, Ellen was struck in the face by
a stone thrown by a classmate.
The injury left her unconscious for weeks, and when she finally
woke up, she was disfigured, frail, and emotionally scarred.
She had to drop out of school permanently at age nine, and for much
of her youth, she battled self-doubt, isolation, and serious health issues.
By all appearances, Ellen did not look like someone destined to become a leader.
At age 12.
Ellen gave her life to Jesus during a Methodist camp meeting.
Around the same time a movement was sweeping across the United States.
The Miller movement led by William Miller, Ellen, and her family joined
thousands of others in believing that Jesus would return on October 22nd, 1844.
She was just 17 when the great disappointment happened.
Like so many others, Ellen was devastated that Jesus didn't come as expected,
but she didn't give up her faith.
Instead, she sought God more deeply.
Not long after.
, In December, 1844, Ellen still only 17 years old, received
her first vision from God.
The vision showed a group of believers walking on a narrow path towards
heaven led by the light of Jesus.
This was the beginning of a prophetic ministry that would span 70 years.
At first, she was reluctant.
She was young, sickly, shy.
A woman living in a time when women were rarely seen as spiritual authorities.
She often said she wished someone stronger or more qualified had been chosen.
But again and again, God confirmed his call over her lifetime.
Ellen White received around 2000 visions and dreams.
These covered a wide range of topics from spiritual revival and health to
education, family life, mission work.
And the great cosmic conflict between Christ and Satan.
Some of her visions helped correct theological errors after the great
disappointment, others encouraged church members to live healthy, balanced lives
leading to the Adventist health message.
Still others shaped the creation of Adventist schools, hospitals, and
publishing houses around the world.
Her books have been translated into more than 160 languages.
In total, she wrote more than 100,000 pages making her one of the most prolific
female authors in American history.
. But more than the quality of her writing, it was her consistent
message calling people to scripture to Jesus and to a life of practical
godliness that left a lasting impact.
Ellen White never claimed that her writings replaced the Bible.
In fact, she called herself a lesser light pointing to the
greater light of scripture.
Her goal was always to uplift Christ and to guide people back to the word.
When she died in 1915, the church she helped shape had grown
from a handful of disappointed believers to a global movement.
Her legacy is not just in books or institutions, but in lives changed by
the message of hope, healing, and truth.
Ellen White's story reminds us that God doesn't always choose the strongest,
the loudest, or the most expected.
Sometimes he chooses a broken girl with a quiet voice and a humble heart,
and uses her to help light the world.
Episode two, A Youth with a Vision read by Jared Stack.