Connecting Women With Women

            I was reading an article recently about a woman who accepted Christ as her Savior while a child, and as most children and teens, found herself up and down with her faith.  She married and had a child, but was frustrated with her spiritual life.  Her inconsistency was leaving her exasperated and discouraged.  She finally took her situation to the Lord.

            God placed her in a Bible Study with another woman, who was widowed and experienced much pain in her life, but strong in her faith, and led the group.  This woman took an interest in the younger woman, mentored her, advised, expressed compassion and love.  Over time the older woman asked the younger to also lead a Bible study.  While completely uncertain of her abilities, she agreed to at least try.   

            Once the younger woman began leading, she found she had to stay in the Word to be able to teach someone else, and herein strengthened her relationship with the Lord.  She now has the confidence, experience and the right relationship with God, so she too, is able to extend compassion and love to others…  even to large groups of women, as a speaker. 

A friend of mine, recently found herself in a new congregation.  Before her move, she was active in teaching an adult class, and now is frustrated as she searches for her “place.”  She’s attended all the adult classes at her new church, but isn’t feeling satisfaction with the depth she had been forced to obtain, as when she had a class. She admitted she “needed” to teach, to learn! 

I can identify with that; perhaps you can, too.  There’s a maxim about how if you ever want to learn something, teach it!  I’ve found this true even in writing; whether it’s the children’s disability books I author (www.paxtonseries.com), or blogs, where in essence, there is a degree of “teaching.”

There are churches who encourage the older women to mentor younger ones.  It’s even a Biblical principle. I’m not talking about the Sunday School leader who teaches many, although this is very important.  Many of us need a strong, spirit filled woman to come beside us and help us maintain stability, not only in our lives, but specifically in our spiritual lives.  It creates accountability.  She serves as a role model, and is willing to meet with us once or twice a week (sometimes only monthly or bi-monthly) but discusses, not the world news, the latest gossip in town, or the latest clothing trend, but the things of God; our Bible questions, our searches in scriptures and where they have led us. 

Women need women.  We need each other because we are women! We have a unique way of seeing the world and even our faith, that is different than men.  That truth is by design—God’s design.  We need to be uplifted, accepted and sometimes even corrected---by other women because there is a distinctive and unique level of understanding!  I encourage you to ask God to send you a mentor, or be a mentor. If your church doesn’t have such a program available, ask…..  and watch God change lives---even yours!