Sacred Sisterhood

One of the hardest parts about moving is establishing community where you are. When we joined our current church we promised that we would try their mens and womens ministries. So Saturday rolled around and it was time for me to attend the monthly women's ministry event. I was so nervous, it felt like the first day of school and I did not want to be the new girl. I was coming up with every excuse in the book as to why it wasn't a good idea for me to go. My sweet kind husband slowly and gently removed every imaginary obstacle, even driving me to the church. "I will wait in the parking lot for five minutes after you go in, if it isn't something you want to stay for, we can go home." He said as I was staring down the door acting like a child. At some point I might share some past church group experiences that have lead me to be hesitant to try new ones, but for now know that my husband was loving me in the absolute best way.

One deep breath later and I was walking through the doors greeted by the sweetest of women. Not a one of them was my age, the woman closest in age to me was sixty-six. They all chatted and welcomed me warmly. One by one they introduced themselves and I smiled as the leader hosted with the sweetest of southern charm, setting out a huge vat of coffee for the five of us and making sure the napkins were set out. The other women chatted about their hectic morning, where the big green grapes one lady brought had been purchased. As we went to grab our snacks one lady nudged me and invited me to "go fix ourselves a plate." That invitation felt so warm and cozy. This lady using phraseology my grandmother used to use. Percuring our snacks, I listened as they continued to discuss that "Did Bojangles really make the cinnamon twists? I didn't know they had those?" and share the truly hard things they were walking through in the same breath.

Each hard prayer request was met with kind, loving encouragement and a comment that they too have walked through something similar. Over the course of the hour and a half that I was there I was honored to watch the sacred sisterhood unfold before my eyes. I listened to their histories, their hearts and their hards. Taking it all in I noticed something. There is something remarkably similar between retired women and young mothers.

We are all craving connection.

We desire a space where we can share a recipe and a prayer request in the same breath. We want a space where we can be women. Sisters encouraging one another through prayer, get our burdens off our chest and be known. Isn't that Titus two is calling us too?

Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, ⁴ and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. ~ Titus 2:3-5

This is my encouragement to all of you this week, find someone older than you that you can be discipled by AND find someone younger than you that you can disciple. Both are important and we can fill both roles. Too often in our American culture we are placed into groups based on our age or season of life. While there is value in being with those in our season and walking through it together, there is also great value to be had in learning from the wisdom gained from those ahead of us. Women who have worked, raised a family, served in church, cared for loved ones and know how to make a casserole to feed the football team using under ten ingredients. We are created for community and community goes beyond age or stage of life.

I pray that in the near future you get a chance to experience or witness sacred sisterhood because it is truly beautiful.