Nana, Mimi and Joan of Arc

My daughter gifted me the book, 7 Women, by Eric Metaxas for Christmas.  A book is always my favorite gift and she knows that Eric Metaxas is my favorite author.  She nailed it!  I have always been intrigued by strong women.  My grandmothers were two of the strongest women I knew.  The suffered the hardships of the United States during the early 1900's.  Living in rural areas, picking cotton, low wages, many siblings, they had to haul their own water, one had no shoes and her parents died early in her life leaving her with a younger brother and sister.  They were women of God and taught me many things separately like sewing, baking, praying, 
and a great deal about joy no matter what!  

They grew up to be wonderful women despite one only having a 6th grade education, and one a high school diploma.  They were strong and frugal and loved the Lord.  They took me church and taught me about Jesus.  They loved me fiercely and that love was  and is reciprocated in my 

 heart unto this very day. Whatever God gave them, and it was little, they used.

I wanted to take notes on the 7 women of the book by Eric Metaxas, but I first wanted to introduce you to Nana and Mimi.  Thank you both for not letting life break you and showing me the joy and love of Christ Jesus.  Now to the unbelievable Joan of Arc....

Metaxas says of her on the first page:  "she was so pure and so brave and so singular in her faith and obedience to God.....she challenges many of our deepest assumptions about what a life can be."  

• Born in 1412 in northeastern France she was never taught to read or write, but had a passionate interest in the church and in God. 
• The 100 Year War was the backdrop of her life, the English believed that France should be part of England.  Some in England were for this and some were against it. 
• When Joan was 16 the "voices" began to speak to her.
• She asked the Governor to provide her with an escort to Dauphin to tell him of her voices and how to win against the English. 
• They sent her home but at 17 she returned and convinced the king to attack and when to do so. He was astonished at her knowledge of the battles raging and gave in.

• The stories of her bravery went well ahead of her. The king gave Joan a room, household staff, a page, a knight and a chaplain because he believed in her. 
• Not everyone was was impressed with her or believed in her.
• But still, she was fitted with a specially made armor and magnificent horse for battle.
• She had a flag created for her soldiers to recognize her, it was of fine white linen, with lilies around the edges, and the figure of our Lord with the world in his hand, and on either side were two angels adoring him. On it were written the words, "By command of the King of Heaven". 
• She had a sword but she sent a letter to the priests of the shrine of Saint Catherine where she had prayed; and she told them to dig behind the alter and they would discover a rusted sword engraved with 5 crosses.  They did and surprisingly, they found it and sent it to Joan.  
• She only used it as a symbol of command and not to harm anyone. 
•  She gave commands to her soldiers, asked them to confess their sins, and to NOT to loot or burn the villages they conquered.  They obeyed.  

• Being a young woman, one might think being with with men would be dangerous, but they never "had a desire for her" thanks to God.  Also, she dressed like a man and cut her hair short as a man would to better fit in.
• Joan often sent letters ahead of her battles to commanders asking them to surrender, of course they didn't but I am almost certain they wish they had! 
• They wanted to capture her and burn her at the stake!
• She was afraid of no one but God and once gave the Count of Dunois a tongue lashing for purposely rerouting her way to a battle.  

• On April 29, 1429 Joan entered the besieged city Orleans and the crowds cheered for her and reached up to touch her on her horse.
• She gave the people hope. They waited 9 days to go into battle, but when the first and short skirmish broke out, Joan was asleep and the men did not wake her. 
• Her page received a tongue lashing and she rode to Burgundy where the battle raged. When the French saw her their spirits soared and they became victors. 
• But Joan wept at the brutality of battle.  

• The leaders still dithered about what to do, but Joan would have none of it.  She knew!   Prepare for battle. 
• She prophesied she would be wounded above the left breast and she was by the shaft of an arrow near her left breastplate.  She pulled the arrow out herself and treated it with olive oil then resumed her fight for another 13 hours. 
• Joan went away to pray while her men slept and had something to eat; and she then spoke to the Count about one final assault.  
• The weary soldiers rose, she held her standard, and they broke down the defenses and the English ran for their lives. 
• It was a great victory!  The French still celebrate the battle 600 years later on May 7th
• Her reputation was such that English-held towns simply opened their gates to her and with no effort her soldiers took the towns. 
• She won another battle on June 8th, the Battle of Patay, of which history records the French lost three men and the English lost 4000.

• Joan was now able to kneel at the feet of the man who was officially the King. King Charles VII.  She knew this had been the will of God and became teary at that moment. 
• The King granted that Joan's village would always be exempt from taxes and this promise was kept for 400 years. 

• She never failed in her advise to the leaders or her men. 
• She knew taking Paris would be difficult but rode onward, and on Sept 8th and English arrow struck her in the thigh.  
• Since the crowning of the King, Joan never received instructions from her "voices" ever again. But the "voices" had previously warned her she would be captured. 
• On May 23rd during a battle a soldier yanked her off of her horse and threw her to the ground. She was captured and kept under guard until November at Beaurevoir Castle. 
• The English rejoiced and Joan wanted death.

• King Charles had initially promised vengeance for her capture.   
•     She was taken to Rouen and her trial began on Jan 9, 1431 and lasted five miserable months. Many witnesses for the English were called but none on her behalf, documents were falsified, and anyone who protested of her treatment were ,threatened. 
• Historically we know what occurred because the trial transcript remains to this day. 
• Against highly educated men, Joan, a simple peasant girl, performed very well!
• She was brilliant and strong. 
• In 1450 the English were finally driven from Paris.
• May 14th the verdict was in:  Joan was labeled "an apostate, a liar, a schismatic and heretic." She served her term as a heretic with many Englishmen quite mad.
• They wanted her executed!
• But they were sneaky.  Part of what made her an apostate to the church was that she wore men's clothing.  

• But once back in her cell  and surrounded by men guarding her, she resumed wearing unattractive, men's clothing.  She stated that she did that of her own free will.
• But on May 30th two priests came to give her the news that she would die at the stake that very morning. She was being put to death for WEARING MEN'S CLOTHES.
• She argued that she must due to circumstances, but to no avail.
• She was forced to wear a paper that was labeled, 
• "Heretic, Relapsed, Apostate, Idolator"

• She asked for a cross & a sympathetic soldier devised on of sticks and gave it to her. 
• A friar went into a church to get her a crucifix but when he returned they had already begun to burn Joan.  He held it so she could gaze upon it as she burned. 
• According to witnesses, she continued to "praise God and the saints while lamenting devoutly; the last word she cried in a high voice as she died was "JESUS!"
• Many English wept for the small girl
• Her remains were cast into the Seine

• In 1449, 8 years after her death, King Charles VII declared Joan's trial to be unjust and proclaimed her innocent. Also declaring she had died a martyr's death. 
• In 1920 she was canonized as a saint in the Catholic Church.  

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One of Joan's greatest moments, I want to note separately, is documented during her trial when asked, "Are you in a state of grace?"  If she answered "yes", she would be charged with heresy; because the church taught that no one can know with certainty that he or she is in the state of grace.  But if she answered "no", it would be tantamount to acknowledging her own guilt.  So, Joan, the teenage peasant girl replied, "If I am not, may God put me there; and if I am, may God so keep me." 

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I can tell you Nana and Mimi knew without a shadow of a doubt they were covered in God's grace.  The Bible said they had it in John 1:17 "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ". 

 I am so proud and thankful that is my heritage each and every day.