Last night we experienced storms in our area—much needed storms! I am not sure how much rain we had, but our crepe myrtles were victims of the downpour. After my husband’s extensive trimming last winter, they developed a large number of new limbs that grew long rather than thick. Two dozen or more of these weak branches broke off last night from the weight of the rain.
Some time ago I encountered a storm in my personal life that would have broken me if I had not been strong enough to weather it. Without knowing what was coming, I had the support needed to persevere through the difficulties. How did that happen?
Certainly, my walk with God was a key factor. I knew his character from studying his word and from experiencing it for myself in small ways through the years. He was truly my shelter in the storm.
However, God designed us to depend upon one another as well. I reaped the benefits of years of investing in friendships with mature and godly women. I trusted their counsel enough to share my situation and my inner struggles. I also enjoyed the support of others who faithfully prayed without even knowing what the storm was.
Begin now to build strength for every situation of life, especially the storms ahead:
· Learn to lean on God for in the little things now. As Jesus taught in John 15, we must abide in him; abide means to stay there, to live in that place. It’s a lifestyle.
· Study the character of God from the scriptures so you can rely upon truth instead of your feelings. Dig into the Bible now as preparation.
· Invest in relationships with godly believers. Choose some with experience in your life situation (i.e. other mothers, other ministers, other leaders, other women in similar working situations). Include women who have already lived life with God longer than you have.
· Build relationships with prayer warriors, and become one yourself.
I am so grateful to God for those who came alongside me. Who has helped support you in the storm?
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It is sad to say that have few Christian friends from my generation that I could count to be this kind of friend. BUT God has surrounded me with women from my mother's generation that fit the characteristics in your post. In fact, I recently learned a woman who is a friend of a friend's parents, has been praying for me for over 21 years. As you can imagine, 21 years is plenty of time for many storms to come and go in my life.
ReplyDeleteI am so grateful to this godly woman, who I now have a relationship with and for her example in my life. I know without a doubt her faithful prayers for me over all these years have shown fruit in my life for the woman I am today.
Thank you for sharing about this godly older woman. I hope other young women will be encouraged to look beyond the usual circles of friends their own age and develop relationships with older women. And it is thrilling to think of the ways you can influence your friend by being a strong prayer warrior for them in their storms. You may be the one who helps them learn to do the same.
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