"One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts"
Psalm 145:3-5
As we serve the women God brings into our lives, I am reminded of the wonderful women God brought to minister and serve me. My life has been blessed with mentors when I did not even know I was being mentored. My sweet grandmother wet my appetite for God’s word as a 6 year old girl. I spent the night with her and we slept together in her big feather bed. It was such a treat to have my grandmother all to myself.
As we settled in for the night, she began to tell me a story of a young boy who left home and ended up eating pig food! She went into great detail and I was captivated by this young boy and the mess he was in. Of course, my favorite part was the happy ending! As she finished the story she told me it was a story in the Bible! Now I was really shocked! I could not wait to tell my parents and could not wait to hear another story. That began my hunger to know more about my God.
I wonder if you are sharing with the women around you. Are you giving them an appetite for God’s word? Are you seeking women who give you an appetite for God’s word?
A young wife and her husband took Doug and I into their home once a week during our engagement and let us watch them relate, cook, take care of their children and fed us!. They then separated us and each took time to teach us how to be a Godly wife and husband. What a blessing!
Another woman took me with her when she visited homebound people and I watched her love. I was taught how to be a pastor’s wife, by my pastor’s wife. She took time to share, but more importantly she walked the walk of a loving supportive wife in front of me.
I was even blessed to be taught how to be a widow when I had no idea I was going to be a widow. A wonderful elderly lady asks me to her home on a consistent basis and shared her life with me. Never did I suspect she was teaching me how to be a Godly widow.
This is just a short list of the women God has brought into my life and I pray that I will not forget and be always willing to speak into the lives of the women around me.
What are you teaching? Are you being intentional in bringing up the next generation?
There are wonderful tools out there if you need help. Women Mentoring Women by Janet Thompson is one of them. Take time to check it out.
Karen is a writer for the Tennessee Baptist Convention Ministers’ Wives blog .She is a speaker and conference leader, former pastor’s wife, and Lifeway Ministry Multiplier from Lenoir City, TN. Karen was married to Dr. Douglas R. Alexander, former pastor of First Baptist Church, Lenoir City, Tennessee until his untimely death a few years ago. They served in ministry in Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas, Ohio and Tennessee. Karen established and led women’s ministries in each church she attended and is a conference leader and writes and teaches Bible studies. She especially has a heart for ministers’ wives and wants to help them love their special calling in ministry. Karen is married to Jim Doyel and is the mother of three grown sons.