Hello!
I’m so glad you are joining me for today’s Sharing Life post. Sharing Life is all about women speaking into the lives of other women. My friends and I are seeking to do that in three specific areas of life:
If you click on the above areas of Sharing Life, you will be taken to a previous post that falls into that category so you can experience a bit of the flavor of this series.
As Jesus-followers, we have a biblical ‘YES’ to mentor others who are coming along behind us. While you may not be ‘older’ in age, you might be just a few steps further along a journey than another woman. Well, sister, that makes you the ‘older woman’! So, be faithful to look for those mentoring opportunities in your life and take advantage of them. Mentoring is not all formal and check-list driven. It is simply being a friend to another woman and speaking into her life when the opportunity arises.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Once upon a time, Greg and I had five animals…..two hunting dogs and three cats. Over time, all five of them died from an assortment of maladies. With each passing, our hearts were broken in pieces. When Greg’s last dog passed, he said, “No more animals. It is too hard to lose them.” That was in 2010.
Fast forward to 2016. Our neighbors have 8 dogs. Yes, I said EIGHT. They are an adorable assortment of beagles and hounds. When we exercise, it is not unusual for a string of them to follow us home. After a few minutes at our house, they all head back to the neighbor’s place.
About 2 months ago, all that changed. I walked home after exercising and several of them followed me. I came into the house and went about my morning. An hour or so later I look out the French doors onto our deck and see a face. A doggie face and a doggie body lounging in the sun on our deck. I thought to myself, “well, it will go home after a bit.”
NOPE! A couple of days later I walk back to the neighbor’s house, which is a half mile away and Puppy walks with me. Greg came and picked me up so Puppy would not follow me back. Success! Got that taken care of!! I decided not to walk back toward my neighbor’s house again so the dogs would not follow me home. I did not want the neighbors to think we were stealing their dogs, for heaven’s sake.
A week or two later I look out on the deck and guess what…Puppy!! For the love!! She has now been a permanent fixture on our deck and in our lives for a couple of weeks. Her name is Aggie. Of course, we feed her since she doesn’t seem to want to go back to her home and people. She is the most playful and loving dog ev-uh! She loves Greg and runs to meet him when he comes home. She has obviously decided that WE ARE HER PEOPLE!
We have no idea why she has made us her people when she has 7 other dogs with whom to play at home. Here, she has only a quiet deck and the two of us. It makes no sense to us. She is only 9 months old, and is still so playful that it seems she should prefer to be with other dogs. But, she makes it clear that WE ARE HER PEOPLE, at least for now.
What is it about us that draws her? What is it about our home?
This got me to thinking about a spiritual application for the whole thing. You and I, as Christ-followers, should live lives that draw others to us and make them want us to BE THEIR PEOPLE. We should exude the love of Christ, the compassion of Christ, and the joy of Christ so much that others want to be around us.
Now, that does NOT mean that we abandon the gospel or the whole counsel of God’s Word, but we should live in such a winsome way that others are drawn to us and we earn the right to speak the Truth of God’s Word into their lives.
So, today I want to ask you a question. Who is looking at your life and asking “Will you be my PEOPLE?” Oh, they may not realize they are seeing Jesus in you, but HE should be the reason they want you to be their people. Are you intentionally living a winsome, Jesus-full life before the world?
Someone needs YOU to be their PEOPLE. Are you willing and available?
