This year I have the joy and privilege of teaching a group of girls (age 17-30's) from a few different churches, and this term we have been looking at Biblical Womanhood. It's something I am passionate about.... and I feel it's represented so poorly in the minds of many of today's young women that they are nervous of even acknowledging there is such a thing for fear that they will suddenly find themselves oppressed. Meh! (kind of like 'Bleh!' or perhaps a softer version of 'Grrr!')
Anyway, Thursday fortnights, 7:30pm, it's an interesting time. For one, I just don't consider myself a teacher and I am quite shy (um - yeah - you could read "pride filled and scared of looking stupid" if you must.......) That's a biggie! Secondly, it can be tricky in a practical sense..... as in there are 4 children to keep in bed, one crazy dog to keep away from the lovely supper on the coffee table, one often ringing phone to ignore, one baby who is teething and requiring feeding (blush!) right at about the time that 10 women are waiting with pen's poised for my first point - which by the way is at times 'lost' in a train of thought that goes right out of the window thanks to my friend 'sleep deprivation'....... yep, tricky. But the Lord gives much grace. I'm thankful!
The opportunity been so rewarding and yet burdening. It's different to the ministry which the Lord has developed for me over recent years in counselling young women - I guess I feel more comfortable there 1:1. There is something precious about bringing truth to bear to hearts who are burdened and hurting. But again, burden - there is such burden to me in the responsibility of ensuring that what I am teaching is truth and not just my version of it. I could so easily teach a Laura Martin version of Biblical Womanhood. It would perhaps be more appealing to the flesh - but less rewarding to the soul. So in these crazy busy days of wifey-ness, mothering, home-making, memory building, ..... I find myself also studying and meditating, reading, praying..... in order to make sure that TRUTH will be presented clearly and given a platform to do it's purifying and sanctifying work. (So.... anyone out there have a spare
MABC??)
Why am I sharing all of this? Well because I want to ask you to pray. Please pray for me as I seek to honour the Lord in this ministry - that HE would be glorified and that He would be pleased to use my often pathetic efforts to achieve HIS good work. Pray for wisdom for me and for time to study and think and pray. Pray also for these young women - that the Word will do it's work and that the Lord would raise up a generation of women who love to be women as HE intends them to be, in NZ.
Secondly, because the stuff I'm teaching is in fact the material I'm working on for my next book..... and I'm trying to drum up interest..... (just kidding!) - I'd love you to pray with me on that too. I just want to honour the Lord, ensure TRUTH is taught clearly and well, and be a resource useful for discipleship.
Thanks friends.
And just because it seems wrong to not have a photo.......
a random Christmas Day shot!
