I knew the name Clara Barton, but it wasn’t until I watched an episode of CBS Sunday Morning on one afternoon that her story came to life in my mind and heart. Clara is best known as the American nurse who founded the American Red Cross, but her remarkable story is far more interesting and inspiring.

Clarissa “Clara” Barton was born on Christmas Day, 1821, in North Oxford, Massachusetts. At age 10, Clara was called to nurse her brother David for two years, after he fell off a barn roof. He struggled with a severe head injury. David eventually made a full recovery, and Clara learned she had the gift of caring for others. Clara helped care for other extended family members. Yet, Clara’s family encouraged her to become a schoolteacher. She taught school for several years and then became a clerk in the U.S. Patent Office. It was the advent of the Civil War six years later that redirected Clara’s life.

Wanting to serve her country by going to the railroad station, she nursed 40 injured men from the 6th Massachusetts Militia. She gathered supplies for the returning wounded soldiers. Clara knew some of the soldiers and had even taught some of them. They appreciated her compassionate and dedicated care. Clara’s Christian faith challenged her to reach out in more demanding ways.

She studied how to store and distribute medical supplies. She spoke with soldiers and would read their books and family letters to help them maintain a positive attitude. Clara used her living quarters to store and distribute supplies. After regularly pestering the Quartermaster, Clara was permitted to work on the front lines.

Clara’s faith and determination were inspirational. According to Wikipedia, Clara would say, “I shall remain here while anyone remains, and do whatever comes to my hand. I may be compelled to face danger, but never fear it, and while our soldiers can stand and fight, I can stand and feed and nurse them.” Her courage was soon recognized throughout the Union. She was known as “Florence Nightingale of America” and “Angel of the Battlefield.” One story was that while caring for a soldier on the front line, Clara heard a shot and felt a tug on the sleeve of her dress. It went through her sleeve without touching her, but killed the man with whom she was caring. She kept the dress, but never patched the sleeve.

After the war, Clara witnessed the pained families who suffered because there was no organized way to keep track of soldiers killed in battle or to communicate the tragedy with their families. Clara contacted President Abraham Lincoln, and he gave her permission to address the issue. The search for the Missing In Action began in earnest. Over the next few years, more than 20,000 soldiers were found and their graves marked, making it easier for their grieving families to have closure.

Clara received widespread recognition and began speaking around the country. Clara worked so hard that she became exhausted and took a period of rest in Geneva, Switzerland. There, she was introduced to the Red Cross. When Clara returned to the United States, she formed a movement to gain acceptance of the Red Cross by the United States government. Now, a woman from an unremarkable upbringing met with President Rutherford B. Hayes and has had a lasting impact on the world to this very day.

For the rest of her life, she worked tirelessly to assist those in need. From flooded rivers to horrendous hurricanes, Clara and those in her organization were always there to help and bring hope. Clara received her hope and strength through her Christian faith, as she described in her diaries. Even in war-torn areas, she found a way to talk to and about God in ways that renewed her strength.

I love reading biographies because they inspire my faith, dedication, and the ability to overcome adversity in ways I couldn’t otherwise imagine. Clara Barton appears superhuman in her courage, commitment, and influence, but she is no better or worse than the rest of us. I believe that what made Clara’s endeavors so blessed was how she listened and responded to the challenges God laid before her. When we respond to God’s calls, we will receive the same vision, energy, and renewal that Clara Barton received all her life. Step out, and watch God use you in miraculous ways.

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