Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
When Pamela passed away some 29 years ago, …and then Mommas - I was left with an inward craving for “motherly” mentoring. To have the full ear and attention of a woman who was a little ahead of me on this walk through life was something that I realized early on was a rare and precious thing in the busy world through which we negotiate.
CiCi is probably fortunate that I lived so many miles away from her because I am sure that I would have become a nuisance hanging about her warm & comforting Carolina kitchen table lapping up sweet tea and advice.
But I found that – as He always does – the Lord provided. Mainly through informal means at church, He raised up several women who were faithful in meeting with me over dinner, or coffee or even welcomed me into their homes to just listen to my hopes and fears and pray with and for me.
Some of these women have passed out of my life for one reason or another by changed proximity or current needs, but I suspect that the Lord had them in my life and me in theirs for just the right amount of time according to His plan.
One of these precious women was Becky F. I first saw Becky with her handsome husband and two young, lovely daughters at church and felt immediately drawn to them as a family. As a matter of face, on one of our church retreats, I made so bold as to saunter up to them and come right out with an unabashed “I really want to get to know you guys!!!”
And we did. I relished Becky and husband, Ed’s, teaching through a small home group, shared time at church, suppers that I sneaked into with them and times that I was able to get a one-on-one chat time with Becky.
Becky has always been the type person that a young woman would sigh and think; “I’d love to be just like her!” Beautiful, full of energy, a great cook, highly creative and intelligent and also possessing a wealth of scripture knowledge made her a Woman of God ever encouraging to have in your life!
On the day that I got married, Becky and Ed drove more than 50 miles through snow and ice to pick me up and take me to have my untamable hair done and get me to the church. I felt their sweet support that day as I had during the time that Uncle R and I were dating and became engaged and knew that they were absolutely a gift from Him.
Then after I was married and Uncle R and I had gone back to the church where we met – young married life got in the way and Becky and I pretty much lost track of each other for many years. I missed her all of that time. I missed her wise remembrance of scripture, cheerful heart and - also as an avid reader - her excellent book suggestions.
Well – we have reconnected and now wonderful Becky and I are having lunch on a regular basis. It’s usually at our favorite meat & 3 with southern vegetables and lots of nonstop chatting. But it’s precious, precious time to me.
In the last few years I have come to realize that I want very much to give back what my kind and loving mentors have given to me. When you feel the Lord’s blessings in your own life it somehow lights a little fire within to share what you have received in such bounty with others who have the same need.
Over the years Uncle R and I have seen various young people come through our lives and we have enjoyed breakfasts out in local eateries with long conversations over coffee, listened to tears and prayer requests over our phones and have been thankful to keep these younger ones in our prayers.
We love that our church is so predominately young. Nashville is such a major draw for the creative-minded and the ambitious career professional that it seems that there is an ever-growing number of twenty and thirty-somethings who are located here with few friends and family to call upon.
Our pastor’s wife, Kim, has created a new ministry that I am very excited to be taking a part in. It’s the “Let’s Meet For Coffee” women’s ministry. Evidently there were so many young women in our church who have asked Kim about whether there were mentors available – that she seized that need and created an outlet for women to have someone to meet with and just talk to.
So far I have been meeting with a wonderful young woman who is fresh from graduate school and is stepping out into a new life, including an upcoming marriage and numerous employment opportunities that could keep both she and her husband here in Nashville or send them as far as Spain or France.
I am still meeting weekly with Carmencita – as we have done for several years – and occasionally my little songbird, Hilly. I love these three young women and am so thankful that the Lord brought them into my life.
He is so kind to bring us into families. Some of these families we are born into, some we choose ourselves – but we nest securely in the happy knowledge that He is the Father of all of these.
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?
2 Corinthians 2:14-16
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.
Ephesians 1:18-19
I am including two photos here below. One is Becky F. and me on my wedding day and the other is from a recent lunch!
Isn’t the Lord good!!!
Love to my Pamela’s Girls!!!
Auntie J
