WOW – Women need support of other women

WOW – Women need support of other women

This summer has been a long drawn out process to do a simple remodel and a couple of jobs in our home. What should have taken three weeks has now melted into four months. Part of the problem is that I gave the construction workers a time line that they ignored. So when they did not make my first dead line to be finished before we left on vacation, we had to stop the work until we came home. Then I gave them another three weeks to start the next portion of the project and get it finished. They did not start on time and surprise, they were not finished and time. We had to stop the work for another week. They promised me they would be finished today. You guessed it; they are not finished and seem to have no intention of finishing. I had a melt down yesterday and two special women were just where I needed them when I needed them.

The first woman who was there for me was a fellow officer and friend. For some reason I began to cry when I was relating my frustrations of the morning which included a basic sponge bath because debris in the pipe goofed up our remaining shower. My friend new that I did not need her to fix my problem, I just needed a hug and a listening ear. The second woman who was there for me was my Mom. She called last night to see how things were going. When I told her about coming home to find my home messed up, my shower fixed but dirty from the workmen and the events that took place to lead to my second melt down she listened. She sympathized as I told her about coming home from a long day at work and scrubbing the shower and just as I finished rinsing it the shower clogged again. She listened without judgment as I told her about my temper tantrum. She cheered me on as I told her about calling up the contractor and giving him an ear full. She understood when I told her how close I came to using unsanctified language to get my point across. When I told her I fixed the shower myself and meekly asked Don to call the contractor back and let them know they did not need to make an emergency visit. Then she prayed with me and reminded me how much she loves me and that God loves me even more. Together we laughed about all the crazy things that have gone wrong with this simple job. Then she helped me to consider what God may want to teach me or help me see through this experience. One thing is that I celebrate how my Mom has come back to the Lord in the last fifteen years and how she has become a prayer warrior. Another thing is to celebrate all of the wonderful women God has brought into my life.

My husband is wonderful, yet being a man he is wired to respond differently to me when I share something. The first response is that he thinks I want him to fix the problem. After all if it is important enough for me to talk about it and use up his listening time, then I must want action. I have to preface my words with “just listen, don’t act” unless I want him to tell me how to solve my problem. His second response is to listen, but not to hear what I am saying. Sometimes he hears but does not listen. The women in my life are wired to listen and to hear what I mean to say or cannot say. They usually know when to hug, when to help and when to pray.

God designed women to need each other. Generally we women herd and huddle together while the men tend to go solo. It occurs to me that there are women out there who have no women friends who support them. Who can be there for them? I understand that often mothers with small children feel isolated and friendless. What if a mother with small children, decided to start an outreach ministry to other moms who had small children? She could go to her local fast food place that has a children’s playground and hang out there about once a week with her kids. She could begin to pray and ask God to bring other women to the same place and for boldness to approach them with conversation. She could begin to build friendships. Then that could lead to a group that wants to do a quick prayer time and pray for each other and their children. (Praying with their eyes open to watch the kids) Occasionally a short Bible devotion could be shared. The new friends could be invited to attend Women’s Sunday at the corps or other fun corps event. WOW! That is just one idea. Think of the possibilities. Consider for a moment, where to lonely women hang out? Go there and make friends for Jesus and when you have won them, you can win them! Parks, libraries, frozen food isle at the grocery store, coffee shops, and book stores are a few places you may find lonely people. Are any of these places your field to harvest? The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Pray to the Lord of the Harvest and ask Him to send more workers.