Answering the Call
Answering the Call: My Spiritual Journey by Betsy Jones
While a graduate student at Columbia University, Betsy Jones, through a chance encounter in a campus bookstore, was introduced to the teachings and work of Reverend Sun Myung Moon and his wife Hak Ja Moon. Profoundly touched by their message and finding in it the answer to her years-long sense of a calling from God, she gathered all of her reserves and ultimately chose “the road less traveled.”
Since responding to that call Betsy has devoted over 50 years to mentoring and ministering both in the United States and in remote nations of the world while also raising and loving her family. Shared in a candid, vulnerable voice and with a mother's heart, this story is an intimate portrayal of the joys and challenges of Betsy’s special path. It is a memoir offering inspiration and hope, and the promise that we all can hear the ongoing call of God’s voice.
246 pages
5.5 x 0.56 x 8.5 inches
10.2 ounces
REVIEWS
I really enjoyed reading this book by Betsy Jones. As a dear elder sister of faith, she very candidly and honestly tells her story of reaching for God, finding His Heart and Ways, and living a life of offering to do His Will. In the process, she is blessed in marriage to her loving husband, Farley, has 5 children and 10 grandchildren, and learns and manifests True Love to her family and others. A shining example to emulate. Thank you, Betsy, for sharing your life journey with us.
Betsy is, among many other things, a good story teller. When she “answers the call” it is not without human drama. Growing up Catholic in an Irish-American family with loving parents and a sister who becomes a nun, she also feels a calling from God. But what is that calling about? She gradually finds out as she encounters the visionary teachings of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon and adapts to a new missionary lifestyle. She gets blessed in marriage to Farley and they have five children. Many sacrifices need to be made, because as Betsy finds out, a mother’s heart is always with her children, and yet she needs to serve a greater community. As an elder sister and a nurse, she is called to counseling and solving many complex issues that arise among a group of people dedicated to a pressing public mission. Sometimes she travels internationally to do so. Many more adventures follow and she realizes how God has guided her to a life that is both deep and wide. All of her children receive special mention in her book and her love for them is apparent.
I found this amazing story, of a pioneer of faith, compelling and heartwarming. Betsy, clearly shares her spiritual journey as she discovers in the most unlikely way a profound teaching that transforms her life and the lives of many of those she encounters along the way. Incredible how her path ultimately intersects with another “fellow traveler” who would become her husband! An uplifting journey but nonetheless one with challenges of the heart and spirit, and one that constantly redefines the reality of…answering the call. We all have these questions and challenges of our inner life and, for me, not only was Betsy’s story entertaining and enlightening but also gave me pause to consider my own thoughts, feelings and the paths of my life. I feel very fortunate to have discovered this wonderful book. I highly recommend it. Betsy’s story may challenge you and surprise you.
