Life as a Christian Woman

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23

From the day we are born, we are told to “Be good.” But what does that mean? Does it mean to behave? To obey? To be good to others? We use the word so much (”That was a good movie!” “That dinner was good.”), that is has lost some of it’s importance in today’s world. Somehow, good just isn’t “good” enough anymore!

In Romans, Paul gives us an idea of the depth of the word when applied correctly:

Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.”
Romans 15:14

When Paul wrote to the church in Rome, he was telling them what he expected of them, giving them something to aim for in developing themselves and the church. But when he lists the attributes, goodness comes first. It seems he is making it a foundation, a key among the other virtues of knowledge and admonishment.

In I Corinthians, Paul goes on to outline goodness in a more obvious manner.

Knowledge puffs up. I Corinthians 8:1

Straight to the point, huh?

Knowledge can turn a person into a self-righteous know-in-all. My dad used to say, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. A lot of knowledge can kill you.”

But as Paul outlines it, knowledge combined with goodness is tempered. Goodness is always beneficial, there is no negative associated with it. If one has knowledge and it is combined with goodness, great things can happen. Think of someone who has the knowledge to make millions. That in and of itself means little. But add goodness to the mix, and suddenly you have someone who sees need and wants to fill it.

I believe that all of us have goodness in us, but like any muscle in our bodies, if we don’t use that goodness, it will shrivel. We won’t know how to use it. God’s ability to do good is not hampered in any way, but life’s little bombshells will stop us. It is hard to spread goodness when you are angry.

But according to Matthew 5:45, God “makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.” We may be evil creatures, but God does this kindness out of His goodness.

We should use this gift of the spirit to do for the world, as God would have us to do. Do unto others, as He has done for us.

Think about it… is this why Jesus is referred to as “The Good Shepherd?” I doubt it was because he was good at herding sheep! The word “Good” takes on a whole new meaning when looked at in this light, in the light of the gift of the spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23

Today let’s look at one of the most powerful of the Fruits, gentleness.

Right now, I imagine you are trying to figure out how gentleness can be a force of strength. The reality is that gentleness, softness, tenderness, allows others to grow and learn. Gentleness has been described as love in action. It produces an aura of allowing others to express themselves. It is non-judgemental, but seeks to provide a place of safety for others.

As for praise, we have never asked for it from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we certainly had a right to make some demands of you, but we were gentle among you as a mother feeding and caring for her own children.
1 Thessalonians 2:6-7

Gentleness goes on to project wisdom. Gentleness produces humility and sensitivity. A gentle spirit will not want to fan the flames of gossip, or allow selfish ambition to cloud one’s judgement. Those traits are inspired by Satan, and he uses them to produce evil among us. But gentleness rebukes those attributes, and allows the spirit to grow in love, to teach in love.

Timothy was a teacher who helped others learn when they were confused regarding God’s truth. Paul advised Timothy to be humble when explaining God’s truth to those who needed to hear it, to avoid foolish arguments. In 2 Timothy, Paul tells Timothy to beware of quarrels and to be kind to all, allowing a gentle spirit to come out.

In James, we see that wisdom is a gift from God, and that this wisdom is pure in gentleness.

The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no partiality and is always sincere.
James 3:17

The gift of gentleness can lead others to follow Christ, to see Christ in us, through us. That makes it a powerful fruit of the spirit, indeed! Today, as you walk with God, as you walk among others, use this fruit to allow others see Christ’s gentleness and love. Allow others to shine and bask in that love.

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23

Of all the gifts of the Spirit, I think I forgot to open this one. Patience is not my strength, and judging by the faces of people in lines, honking horns in traffic, and parents rushing children around, I don’t think I am alone.

God is our greatest example of patience. Face it, we must drive Him up the proverbial Heavenly wall! But he is so long-suffering, so steadfast in His love for us.

They refused to listen, and did not remember the miracles you had done for them. Instead, they rebelled and appointed a leader to take them back to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and full of unfailing love and mercy. You did not abandon them.
Nehemiah 9:17

But what about our patience? Patience is developed through waiting and hardships. Kind of a “you might as well be patient because you are going to have to wait, anyway” kind of teaching.

Every hardship we Christians face will have a positive outcome at some point. It may take years, but our reward is not of this world. We may be persecuted. We may suffer illness, but we will be made whole.

Frankly, not what any of us wants to hear, huh? We are human, we want our reward here and now. We want the praises of our fellow humans. We want our egos stroked and the spotlight to shine brightly on us.

But think ahead. Put your earthly desires on the back burner for a moment. In other words… BE PATIENT OF SPIRIT!

Years ago I read an advice column. A reader had written asking if it was ok for him to seek companionship, to have an affair. His wife had suffered a stroke and was an invalid. He missed the closeness of marriage and wanted to seek it outside of marriage, even though his wife was still alive. As you may expect, hundreds of readers wrote in with their own responses. But one has stuck out in my mind ever since, and I think it is a great example of the Holy Spirit manifesting itself through patience.

One man wrote that his wife had been disabled and very ill for more than 20 years. The sexual part of their relationship had ended long ago. Had he been tempted? Yes. Had he succumbed to that temptation? No.

His reason?

He said that when he dies, when he appears before God in Heaven, he longs to hear the Father say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

What a goal! Allow the Spirit to fill you with patience, to take rest in the waiting and comfort through the hardship. The final reward will be worth it.

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23

Peace.

It’s a word we hear every day. We all want peace, in our world and in our hearts. But how do we achieve it? What are the by-products when the Holy Spirit endows us with peace?

Peace is a feeling of wholeness, a calming of conflict within us. Have you ever been torn up about something for so long it becomes a part of your day-to-day life? But you know you are doing right, that you have not sinned. A sense of peace settles in your heart. You may still have the struggle, but there is a sense of calm in knowing that you are following God’s will.

We also achieve peace when we have reconciliation with God. When we are at peace with God and his desires for us, we feel a sense of tranquility, sin no longer blocks our path toward God. Paul spoke of this in Romans.

Since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
Romans 5:1

Peace with God is possible because of Christ’s death on the cross, His intercession for us in death and resurrection.

Finally, peace is a by-product of trust… trust in God, faith in His word. One of my favorite scriptures is found in Genesis. Sarah, Abraham’s wife, has given birth at a ripe old age (not many of us expect to give birth at 90 years old!). And when she was actually blessed with a son (Isaac), she was amazed and full of joy at his birth.

Who would have dreamed that I would ever have a baby? Yet I have given
Abraham a son in his old age!
Genesis 21:7

She had given up and no peace when she was filled with doubt and worry. But when faced with the reality of God’s promise, doubt and worry were replaced with peace of heart (a peace she could have relished had she only had the faith in God’s promise!).

So seek out peace within yourself. Seek out God, seek His Spirit.

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23

I thought I would take the next week or so to do a series on the fruits of the spirit, and I’m going to start with Joy.

Real joy, real deep down, feel it in your toes, is a wonderful thing. You feel fulfilled, happy. You want to share it with everyone. You can’t contain it, and you don’t want to.

But what brings real joy to a Christian? Joy begins in worship, it grows out of fellowship with God. Worship involves many components: confession, prayer, introspection, meditation. But it involves celebration, as well. In the Old Testament, Israel seemed to favor celebration. God encourages joy, He encourages celebrating Him, celebrating who He is and what He has done for us, for His people.

Being in God’s presence alone is cause for joy beyond comprehension. What right to we have to approach Him? None! But He longs for us to share His presence. David, in the Psalms, sings of his joy when in communion with the Father.

I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me. No wonder my heart is filled with joy, and my mouth shouts his praises! My body rests in safety.
Psalm 16:8-9

Joy from God comes no matter what the conditions of our lives. Even though he was jailed, Paul found reason to celebrate. His attitude teaches us so many lessons, but most importantly to be joyful in all circumstance, because God is there with us.

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again — rejoice!
Philippians 4:4

Christ dwelled in Paul, and ultimate joy comes from Christ in us.

Finally, when the Holy Spirit provides us with these fruits. Galatians 5:22-23 (cited above) speaks of the Holy Spirit, and when the Spirit controls our lives these fruits will be produced.

So be joyful in the Lord! Let the fruit of the Holy Spirit manifest itself in you, be joyful, and let the joy of the Lord shine from you onto others!

Ah, yes. It’s that time of year. Time to load up the car and hit the road for the mandatory family road trip. We’ve all done it, as children and now as adults. And as I’m sure we can all attest, you need two weeks to recover from one week of vacation!

Something about cramming the car and traveling can bring out the worst in people. Maybe it is because we are all jammed in together with no escape. Maybe it’s because there is no escape from each other. Whatever the reason, nerves are frayed and relationships tested.

My family hit Disneyworld last fall. We had looked forward to it for a year. I think by the end of the third day, we were all looking forward to getting away from each other. Between a four year old who was afraid of costumed characters, a teenager who had a cell phone connected to her ear, and a husband who felt he was personally bankrolling Disney’s next movie, it was stress from beginning to end.

And next week we will load up the car and head north to visit family. There will be more than 20 of us filling a small cottage, with a couple of campers thrown in on the lawn. We will range in age from newborn to mid-70’s, and we are guaranteed to get on each other’s nerves… so why do we do it?

Because we love them. Our families drive us crazy, and we return the favor by making them nuts. But they are a part of us, whether through birth or marriage. They may make us mad, but nobody else better pick on them, because they are family, our family. Nothing can change that.

And that is how God feels about us, but magnified ten thousand times over. We drive Him mad. We break His heart. He laughs with us and cries over us. Why?

Because we are His family, the sheep of His pasture. Nothing we can do will change His love for us, His patience with us, and His yearning to draw us closer to Him.

So the next time you are tempted to change your identity and move where no one will find you, think about God, our Father. Follow His example.

Love, as we are loved.

I’m frustrated… very, very frustrated. Someone is trying to set me apart, make me question my faith and my road to God. I feel under fire, angry, defensive, and frustrated.

I have never understood why Christians feel the need to belittle other Christians. This “my theology is better than your theology” attitude gets none of us anywhere. It hurts us to fight against each other, and yet we do it so well!

I have a friend who seems to enjoy making others doubt their own beliefs, even though this person is an active Christian. If one disagrees, or questions, then somehow the questioner is wrong, or worse - dumb for not knowing in the first place.

This person is beginning to have a negative effect on me. Times that I am supposed to be in worship, now I’m angry and my mind is nowhere near where it needs to be to spend time with God. I’ve prayed for peace, for understanding, and yet I get angrier and more upset each time I am involved with this person.

So what do I do?

We are commanded as Christians to live in unity, to present a fellowship of Christian love to others. In Phillippians 2:1-2, Paul says “Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and sympathetic? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one heart.”

Hard words to live up to! But in the midst of our frustration, we must first and foremost remain obedient to God. When faced with those that bring out the worst in us, we should look for ways to act against it, and trust God to lead us in our efforts.

We should also avoid making big decisions in the midst of our frustration. Wrong assumptions can lead to wrong conclusions. Take time to sit back, calm down and review the situation. Is it as bad as you think? Or are you being overly sensitive? See if some greater good could come from the situation, don’t assume the worst.

Make sure that you are not the source of frustration in others. I have to look inward to see if I am egging this whole thing on, what is my part in this situation. Seldom is anything all one person’s fault. Often, if we look deep within ourselves, we will see that we are complicit in the problem.

Finally, if the situation is untenable, then remove yourself from it. Don’t destroy the group that is in place just to satisfy your own means to an end. Perhaps the greater good is that God is making you unhappy where you are so he can plant you elsewhere, where your gifts and talents are needed.

I don’t know yet what I am going to do. I need to pray, reflect, and ask God for His direction, for His discernment. It is a hard lesson, and we all must open our hearts to hear from God in these times. But His words, and His words only, will lead us where we need to be to follow Him.

Along comes little Frankenmuth, Michigan.

Frankenmuth, a beautiful community of 4,800 eighty miles north of Detroit, has long prided itself on it’s Bavarian heritage, and the fact that it was founded by Lutheran missionaries who vowed to honor the “old ways.”

Frankenmuth has one of the largest concentrations of Lutherans in the midwest, and the seal of the city features a Luther rose, which is a symbol for Lutherans.

The small town, a stop for tourists, features homes and businesses with alpine architecture. German is spoken at one church service each month.

You get the picture.

Then along comes Lloyd Clarke.

Clarke, age 66, is an atheist. He moved from Bay City, Mich., to Frankenmuth about four years ago to be closer to family. But a few months ago he noticed crosses on a downtown bridge. He didn’t like it. He felt like it was discriminatory against those who weren’t Christian.

So he complained, and the city removed the “offensive” crosses.

Game over, right? He got what he wanted. Not so fast, said Clarke.

He decided to take on the city seal, Luther rose, crosses and all. And this time, the people of Frankenmuth didn’t like it… not one bit.

Churches got involved. One of the Lutheran churches in town handed out 1,500 three foot crosses. The began appearing in yards all over town. One resident said that even Billy Graham wouldn’t have been as successful at getting crosses displayed all over town as Clarke and his controversy have been.

The city seal also contains symbols for the U.S. and Bavaria, as well as a wheat sheaf to honor Frankenmuth’s agrarian roots.

Which leads to my favorite quote of all. Joe Kraft, who has lived all of his 81 years in Frankenmuth said, “I don’t think the cross compels anyone to be a Christian any more than the sheath of wheat compels someone to be a farmer.”

Clarke has backed off, removed himself from the situation. But he is hoping that the Washington D.C.-based Americans United for the Separation of Church and State will take up the cause. I wrote about that organization the other day, and it’s fight with South Carolina over the “I Believe” plate.

I know there are issues of separation of church and state here. I understand. And I’m sure this will all be fought out in the courts (the town has retained the Thomas More Law Center in Ann Arbor to defend the crosses and seal).

Personally, I think the crosses should stay. As a Christian, I cheer for it and for the town. But the part that amazes me the most, that tickles me pink, is the reaction of the townspeople. They are fighting for their beliefs, for the beliefs of those that founded the town.

Next week my family is going to Michigan for vacation. We are going to make a special trip to Frankenmuth, a little “show of support” for the town.

Oh, and don’t be angry with Mr. Clarke. If not for him, this little revival might never have occurred!

Isolation.

The word conjures up some ugly pictures. Prisoners put in isolation because of bad behavior. The ill put in isolation wards because of their illness and the risk to others.

No, isolation is not a happy word. We were born to be around people, to be a community. To be separated from that community can be painful and lead to depression and anxiety.

But isolation from God? Nothing could be more painful, more gut-wrenching, than to feel that you are not connected to the Lord. But it is at these times that we can reach out to God and realize that we can’t be isolated from Him if we seek Him. He never leaves us, we isolate ourselves from Him!

From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help.
Psalm 130:1

The psalmist cried out to God at his lowest point, and God answered. When we feel lonely, sad, hopeless, He is there to befriend us, cheer us, and give us life.

But what about isolation from God that occurs due to sin? We feel ashamed to enter His presence, but this is when He has His arms open to receive us. He does not abandon us! Our sin may cut us off from God, but He stands ready to forgive us when we repent of our sins. To restore our relationship with God we must simply confess our sin to Him, obey Him, and remain in fellowship with Him.

Finally, we must all do our best to avoid spiritual isolation. We are a community of faith, bound by one God and one Savior. We must seek each other out by whatever means necessary, to join in fellowship of spirit. We cannot isolate ourselves from others of faith! That defeats the purpose of God’s community.

For me, the internet is a wonderful thing. I can fellowship with other Christians right here in front of my computer. For some Christians, that may be the only way that they can fellowship. Some of us have the ability to go to church weekly and fellowship, to meet in small groups. Others can’t, whether due to health or other reasons. But God will provide a means if we will only listen to Him, obey Him. He will plant other Christians in our path, whether they are next door or a continent away.

God doesn’t want us to be isolated from Him or other Christians. Reach out. He is there.

South Carolina is proposing a license plate that says, “I Believe” with a Christian cross and stained glass window on it. But not everyone is happy about it, including some Christians.

In fact, a group called Americans United for Separation of Church and State, based in Washington, D.C., has filed suit in Federal Court to stop the plate from seeing the light of day. The suit was filed on behalf of two Christian pastors, a humanist pastor, a rabbi, and the Hindu American Foundation.

Retired Methodist minister Rev. Thomas Summers, who has joined the lawsuit, believes that the plate provokes discrimination.

“I think this license plate really is divisive and creates the type of religious discord I’ve devoted my life to healing,” according to Summers.

Rev. Robert Knight feels the plate “cheapens” Christianity. “As an evangelical Christian, I don’t think civil religion enhances the Christian religion. It compromises it,” Knight said. “That’s the fundamental irony. It’s very shallow from a Christian standpoint.”

This has created a firestorm in South Carolina. Some decry “bumper theology” while others believe this is a blow for Christians against those who have sought to remove God from virtually every area of life.

The case is based on the fact that the bill is moving through the state house. However, in South Carolina, any group can create a specialty plate, as long as they have 400 prepaid orders, or collect a $4,000 deposit.

My opinion? Drop the bill and I guarantee the churches in the state will come up with the money. What will those who are so offended by the license plate do then? Demand a repeal of the state law?

Probably.

What I don’t get is the high and mighty attitude of the theologians in the AUSCS who are so violently against the plates. No, I don’t think that having a Christian license plate is going to save the world, but if a Christian wants to have one, who cares? How can this plate be offensive?

The real problem I have here is that free speech seems to apply more and more to others, and less and less to Christians. When I read headlines from around the world about the persecution of those who merely want to meet in fellowship, I can hardly believe it. But now those headlines are coming from western Europe, England, Australia. Preachers in parts of London are being warned that their sermons and outreach can be construed as a hate crime.

So what was once unthinkable is now becoming reality, right here in our own backyards.

I guess I sound like an alarmist. I don’t mean to be. But I do think that our rights are being taken away without so much as a whimper. And when we do speak up, we are branded “fundamentalists.”

No, folks, we are just Christians.

When we think of church leadership, we automatically think of the pastor or priest. He is the face of the church, the one who stands before the people and delivers words that God has given him.

But we are all aware, or should be, that not all leaders are created equally. We should never follow blindly. If you remember from a prior post (What is a Church), the Greek word for church is “ekklesia,” which means the congregation or assembly, the people. In other words, we are the church. Not the building, not any specific denomination, and not the leadership. We are the church.

Every church needs leadership. But what makes a good leader, a good pastor or church administrator? God left us a road map for leadership in the Bible. He gave us examples of both good and bad leaders. Let’s take a look at what God says are the qualities of effective leaders.

Christian leaders should see themselves as servants. While worldly leaders can be self-centered and selfish in their desire to get to the top, Christian leaders should be the ones who serve best. Every Christian leader needs to have the heart of a servant, the heart of Christ. It is not about “Follow me, I know the way,” it should be “Let’s follow God’s path together, as brothers and sisters in Christ.” Christ led, but he also served those he led.

Christian leaders persevere in a Christian manner. Imagine the discouragement Moses must have felt. He was in charge of a bunch of ungrateful people! God answered prayer after prayer from the masses, but they turned away again and again. But while I’m sure Moses was tempted to say, “Get yourselves through the wilderness, I’m going home,” he didn’t. He led them as God directed. Sure, he got mad, smashed the first set of 10 Commandments. But he kept going. Christian leaders must put God’s love ahead of their own agendas, must keep a pure heart in order to lead the faithful.

Delegate…Then Appreciate. No one leader can do it all. But if a church is made of people, then the people must serve! A leader must use his staff and the people, he must allow them to spread their wings in their areas of expertise. A pastor must trust his staff, that God has brought them to the ministry, and let them fly. But he cannot stop at delegating. He must… MUST… appreciate those who serve, and let them know. Praise them, and thank God for them.

Moses inspected all their work and blessed them because it had been done as the Lord had commanded him. (Exodus 39:43)

Moses blessed those who had followed God’s direction. A good leader can do no less.

Recognize Personal Limitations. Everyone called to the ministry is gifted differently. Some are chosen to speak, some to administer, others to lead music or the children. But all must recognize their own limitations. They must ask for help, admit weaknesses and look for ways to share the load. God has gifted many within the body of the church, many who ache to use those gifts to His glory. How heartbreaking it must be to offer to use those gifts, only to be told, “Don’t worry, we got it covered.” A good leader will find a place for all who wish to serve.

And finally,

Be a Leader to All. A pastor who isolates himself from the congregation is doing a disservice to both the people and himself. While he may be an excellent orator, to focus solely on that aspect of his ministry would do more harm than good. A Christian leader must know his flock, those that God wants him to lead. If you don’t know your people, how can you lead them? A pastor with a closed-door policy will never be able to share fully in the joys and sorrows of his congregation. He will never be able to fully minister to those in need. Worse, he may begin to isolate himself from the realities of his church, he may lose touch with the needs of those he has been sent to serve. His passion for God may morph into an arrogance of leadership, a “Preacher Knows Best” mentality.

As the leader of the church, a pastor must give of himself completely. Demanding? Yes. Stress-filled? Absolutely. But if he has been called into the ministry, if he has accepted God’s calling, then he can do no less. The salvation of some may depend on it.

My sister sent me this photo a few weeks ago. What a photo!

I’ve written before about the church, how WE are the church, not the building or the staff. (What is a church?) And most of us are familiar with Matthew 18:20: “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”

We all know that God is with us always. He never leaves us, never forsakes us. But even though He is with us even when we are alone, Matthew 18 reminds us that we are to worship together, join with others in Christ. A Christian alone is a Christian in danger. We must guard our faith, and one of the keys to arming ourselves in the world is to remain in fellowship with others. A Christian is called to prayer, to worship, to Bible study, to fellowship.

When I look at this picture, I see a little girl who wanted to share prayer time with her “friends.” She is worshiping in prayer… fellowshipping… maybe even holding her dolls “accountable.”

Yeah, I guess I am reading a lot into a picture, but what a picture!

Have a worship-filled, God-filled day!

I am blessed to have a good number of friends. They come from all walks of life, and my relationships are different with each one of them. Each one fills a need in me, and I hope that I fill a need in them.

I have some friends who are in the category I like to call “Hello Buddies.” These are friends that I know more in passing. We know each other, but our friendship has never had to go through trials.

I have family members who are friends in a different sense. I put my two sisters-in-law in this category. I didn’t choose them, they came as a package deal with my husband. But their role in my life has become integral, as if we have known each other for a lifetime.

And I have a couple of friends who are my core. I know that they will stand with me, no matter what. I hope they know the same about me. We can go weeks, months, even years without speaking. But when we reunite, it is like no time has passed. Our friendships have been battle-tested, and survived.

As Christians, we need to strive to surround ourselves with Godly women. Women who will be prayer warriors for us when we are so low that we don’t think we will ever be lifted up. Women who will hold us accountable for missteps that we make, who will lovingly help guide us back to the right path.

One thing that is clear in Jesus’ ministry is that the disciples weren’t just His followers, they were his friends. He laughed with them, cried with them, prayed with and for them. His heart ached when they hurt. He longed for them to give themselves completely to the Father. He knew their failings and weaknesses, and chose to love them anyway.

There is no better role model for friendship than Christ. We must love each other, minister to each other, and care for each other. Laughing, loving, crying. Understanding, knowing, and yet not caring… simply loving.

For my birthday, a core friend sent me a frame that says, “Good women. May we know them, may we be them, may we raise them.

I would only make one change to that frame:

Christian women.
May we know them.
May we be them.
May we raise them.

Dedicated to my core friends: SAW, LMK, KNB. Thank you for helping me walk the walk daily.

Summer is a busy time in churches. Yes, it’s time for that old standard, Vacation Bible School! This week I am working with a group of our four year olds, and it has been fun and exhausting all at once!

I have to admit, working with a group of four year olds for the week is not my idea of vacation anything! All of us who are working are exhausted, and as we pass each other in the hallway, we say, “only two more days,” as if to cheer each other up. But the funny thing is, we are all smiling. Not fake, phony, “I’ll smile because I am supposed to” smiles, but real ones. Why? Because we know, deep in our hearts, that we are making a difference. We know we are needed, and we know it is the right thing to do.

I remember VBS from my childhood days, and the impact it had on me. I always looked forward to VBS, because I would be with all my friends doing all the things I liked to do: playing, making crafts, singing songs, eating snacks and watching movies. Oh yes, and we had a little Bible thrown in, too.

Actually, we had a lot of Bible thrown in, I just didnt’ realize it. I was too busy making crafts to realize that they were God-centered. I was too busy singing songs to notice that they were about Jesus. I was too busy watching movies to realize that they were about the lives of some of the heroes of the Bible.

But a funny thing happened while I wasn’t realizing what was going on… I was learning! It was soaking in, even though I’m sure the teachers thought I was oblivious. I was learning about God, the Bible, all of it.

And I was learning about God’s love, too. How? Because wonderful women of the church taught VBS. Some were retired, others were moms of some of the kids. But they loved on us and taught us like we were their own. And in that love, we were feeling the love of God.

A wonderful thing happened a few years back. After my mom passed away, one of my former Sunday School and VBS teachers got in touch with me to give me her condolences. I hadn’t heard from Miss Dottie in probably 35 years! We began corresponding by email on a regular basis. She had been one of the moms who loved on me, loved on all of us, and made a difference in our lives.

Now, all these years later, I can remember how that love, the love of the women of my church, brought me to God, led me to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

I want the children of my church to grow up knowing God’s love. I want them to learn about Jesus and the Bible heroes. And someday, I hope they grow up and teach VBS, too. You see, Miss Dottie, and all those like her, don’t just influence the students in front of them. They influence the generations to come. It doesn’t start and end during this one week. It is a seed that will grow, and spread more seeds over the years.

So this week I am getting up earlier than I would like to, I’m more tired than I can imagine, and I am loving every minute of it.

And I’m pretty sure Miss Dottie would be proud!

All of us have had the empty feeling of loneliness. Even in a crowd, you can feel lonely. And loneliness can bring on sadness and depression, a feeling of hopelessness.

But we aren’t hopeless, and God shows us what to do in those times of isolation. The truth is, as easily as we become isolated and alone, we can reach out to others and begin to come out again.

Let’s look at loneliness through the perspective of the Bible.

First, when you begin feeling alone, separate and apart, reach out to other Christians. Jesus used the parable of the mustard seed to show that Christianity would grow from a small, insignificant number to a worldwide kingdom.

Jesus asked, “How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it? It is like a tiny mustard seed. Though this is one of the smallest of seeds, it grows to become one of the largest of plants, with long branches where birds can come and find shelter.”

Mark 4:30-32

Reach out to His kingdom on earth, your brothers and sisters in Christ, and let them come to you and lift you up in prayer.

Second, if we aren’t careful, loneliness can morph into self-pity. Self-pity works against any good you may be doing. While we all have those times of “why,” in its extreme self-pity is self-indulgent and nothing good can come of it. Instead of “poor me,” pray for an attitude adjustment.

Third, remember that God is with us, so we can never really be alone. Feeling lonely? Talk to God. Speak out loud, just as if He is in the room with you… because He is! We are filled with God’s Holy Spirit and love. Who can truly be lonely under those circumstances!

Finally, one of the best things you can do when you are lonely is serve others who are lonely, forgotten. Visit an elderly church member, have a prayer time with a shut-in, volunteer to visit members of your church or parish who are hospitalized. Seeing the joy that your visit brings is enough to lighten your soul.

We are an egotistical, self-satisfied society. Most people would rather cut off their arms than reach out to others. But as Christians, we are called to reach out to others… to both serve and be served in return.

So let those around you know that you need them. It is a sign of strength and resilience to be able to let others in when you need them, not a sign of weakness.

And never forget the Great Commission:

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

(Matthew 28:18-20)