Joining with #SheReadsTruth and #SheSharesTruth today for an exercise in sharing! We have been studying the book of Titus and the challenge was to answer these three questions:  How is spiritual mothering already taking place in your community? Has a godly woman influenced you in your growth in the Gospel, or has mentoring a young believer impacted your life? How would you like to see Titus 2 shape your relationships moving forward? Here we go!

Mentoring…yes, I looked it up in the dictionary. A mentor is a “…wise, trusted counselor or teacher.” That sums up perfectly my beginning remembrance of “Sister Sherlock”, my first Sunday School teacher that I remember having an influence on me. I do not recall how old I was in her class, but I know I was little, maybe five starting out.

To me, this lady was a picture of grace. She was elderly, ancient in my eyes, but at the time was probably only in her early 70’s. She seemed to float around the room, touching and encouraging and most importantly, loving. She was the epitome of Titus 2.

“The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”

I remember feeling so safe, so protected and so very, very loved by this woman of God.

Later on, as I grew up, I had other women who shaped my life. One particular lady I was attached to as a young teenager helped me learn to pray. I watched her, I listened and I learned. Several years ago when I was under such a great attack from the enemy, I called her in the middle of the night, desperate for prayer and answers. She responded…with the Word! It made all the difference for me and has helped me be able to do the same for others! She is still a close, dear friend to this day.

In my late 30’s, raising My Three Sons, an air traffic controller’s wife, busy as youth pastors in the church, I was frazzled, to say the least. On top of it all, we were feeling the call to leave our safety and security and step out in the ministry full time. It was overwhelming.

Enter my lovely, Christian friend, Martha, or Mart as we called her.

This woman, and her sister, Dellen, were blessings in my life! They were constant, never changing and not perfect. Yes, I said NOT perfect! That is what I loved about Mart.

She had one daughter and a husband but was never too busy to hear about ME. Did I need prayer? How was I doing? What could she do to help?

And laugh. She could make me laugh.

This godly Titus 2 woman was taken from us all too early. I will never forget one day I was at her house and Dellen and I were helping to give her a permanent! Oh, my, what were we thinking! Dellen wanted me to look at a mole on the back of Mart’s ear, she was concerned.

She was right.

Mart suffered so much with the treatments, the pain and the progression of the cancer, it was beginning to take a toll on her. The church rallied around her and supported the family with their prayers and love. We were all sure God would heal this woman because none of us could bear to lose her.

It was not to be and she was taken from us all too soon, shortly after her daughter’s wedding. If I remember correctly, it was less than two years later that Dellen, too, passed away. I have always marveled at that because I knew they couldn’t stand to be separated. They were two of a kind.

You are never too old to want, and need, a godly influence!

Since the Titus 2 study, I have thought long and hard about a mentor and pray that God would send one my way. I would also love to get back to the place where I would feel like pouring myself into someone younger.

My prayer is that God would make me pliable, useful and willing in all aspects of ministry and a “…teacher of good things”.

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