I have always been a people watcher. A personality admirer. I get a thrill when I see people grow, learn, change, and mature. I remember from a very early age, admiring the beauty of the elder women in my life. I had women of all different personalities, experiences, and backgrounds pouring into my life. I am so grateful for each perspective, and for the willingness they had to teach me, to direct me, rebuke me, and most of all, to be humble enough to take the time to be interested in a young girl. However, I think these ladies were just faithful. Any younger woman who would be willing to learn, would receive the same thoughtful instruction that they gave to me.
My own mother was 39 when I was born, and I had two sisters much older than me who did most of the help around the house already. Most of my early years with my mom were spent in reading books together, singing verses together, and helping me through my little fears and oft nightmares. I eagerly wanted to live up to my hard-working sisters. I followed them around, as they mothered me too. If they did laundry, I did it too, if they cooked, I tried to too. I watched carefully anyways. I wanted to have my hands in everything. As I got older, and my little sister was born, I then had care responsibility of her. I benefited from being held responsible to escort her around, guard her, and then as we got older, shower her, do her hair, fix her snacks, etc. I never once regarded my responsibilities as drab, or undesirable. Our home delighted in loving and caring for each other, and growing up was a beautiful, honorable thing. My parents encouraged our maturity and praised our efforts. We only have a few years to learn how to be dutiful, responsible, thoughtful, and mature adults before we were without our parent’s full instruction. My parents knew this and used those years wisely knowing they would go be so quickly.
Outside of my home, I had many other women who taught me. As a foreign missionary’s daughter, I had the opportunity to observe many other ministers and their wives. Sadly, some have become ship-wrecked, others have remained faithful to this day. I still look to these women and try to glean from their faithfulness. I watch the fruit of their labors, their consistency. Do they still believe what they used to now that their children are grown? I look to their disposition. Are they full of joy, of good countenance and spirit? Do they walk in the grace of God? Are they discreet, chaste, godly women? I have met many who were this way in their youth and are still in their elder years. I admire them greatly! When together, they never thought, “That is a mere child, or a teenager, she wouldn’t care what I would have to say to her.” Instead, they saw a girl who would be grown soon, and they knew their responsibility to teach the younger women. I think when people hear the word “teach”, they merely think of a hoity-toity, high-minded person, who thinks they have it all together, who just wants to tell everyone off. What I mean is, they taught me by their own conduct. They used their own lives as living demonstrations of obedience to the Word of God. When they were with me, they took interest in me. They spoke to me, asking about my interests and hobbies. When they returned with comment, it wasn’t a mere “That is cool” as is said today, but an instruction to use every gift, every hobby, every desire, and every skill to the glory of God. Their words held the Word of God, because they loved it and read it. They let it dwell in them richly.
There were the women in my family, there were minister’s wives, there were lovely hostesses that helped our family on our travels, and then there were the ladies in our church. Every Christian woman is, in fact. a minister. A godly woman ministers to the Lord, to others, to their family and local church family. The ladies in my church did not consider themselves less responsible to God’s Word than the pastor’s wife. Every elder woman is to be a Titus 2 woman, and every woman is an elder to the generation under them. Every woman, young or old, is to be an example to each person that they meet. Even when I was not cooking much with my mom and sisters, many ladies invited me to cook with them. The ladies in our church knew I was a real foodie even before the age of eight. They would show up with little treats they knew I liked. They would show up with ingredients and invite me to make it with them. We were an all-week kind of church, not just a Sunday and Wednesday kind. I learned to clean and prepare fish, chicken, all kinds of dishes made with Philippines “sweet potato”. Through all these things, they ministered to me and had great influence in my life. I had many others as well. I had many unmarried women who spoke to me of contentment, joy in the Lord, witnessing to their unbelieving parents and family members, reminding me of the blessing I had of being raised in a Christian home. Watching their walk with the Lord touched me forever. They knew their obedience to the Lord in their young adult years would make the difference in their lives in their aged years. Whether they were godly women now or not would determine their level of godly influence in the future.
Why do I write these things? To thank the elder women who have been faithful to the Lord, and who showed the love of Christ to me. To encourage the younger women to remain faithful that they will have the same testimony as the elder women. To instruct the daughters to be teachable, and to admire the beauty of your elders. To know that we can hold each accountable to living out God’s will in all of our lives. Truly this is what it means to be iron sharpening iron. Not just empathizing in our disobediences and shortcomings (excusing one another Rom. 2:14-15) but reminding each other that a righteous man rises again. Our shortcomings are nothing to glory in. They are just a fruit of the flesh. I am so thankful for all the faithful women God has placed in my life!
As Teachers of Good Things podcast continues, it may look like more excerpts and writings from elder women, and maybe audio that you can listen to with it. The reason is, I have found it difficult to have all the plates spinning in my life that I would like to and remain faithful to my priorities at the same time. I have taken over a year off and have not known how to proceed. I am going to try this route, and if the Lord blesses me with the ability to continue, I will.
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