Day 216 - The Older Women Teaching the Younger Women

Sometimes we want to be used by God in mighty ways -- like being a missionary in a far-off land or being a pastor's wife who tirelessly assists her husband as well as the congregation -- and we realize that God needs us for other purposes in His Kingdom.

It dawned on me yesterday that God is using me in ways I haven't asked Him to and in ways I never thought of. For instance, I never dreamed that God would use me to encourage and uplift other Christian women on the Internet...but He is doing just that.

I became a member of an on-line community of Christian women about six months ago. There are nearly 1,000 members in this group. There are various forums within this group like the Prayer Forum, or the Marriage & Family Forum, or a General Topics Forum, as well as others. I created a screen name and began posting about myself in this group of women, sharing the difficulties in my marriage, asking for prayer, and learning to grow in the Lord with these women from all walks of life.

Although this group is on the internet and everyone signs in with a screen name and not their real name, we get to know one another quickly and minister to each other. When one woman is feeling down or upset, fellow members of this group come alongside her and lift her up in prayer and encourage her with scripture verses as well as stories of how God has led them through some difficult times in their lives, as well. Real, live women sharing their real, live accounts of how Jesus has touched them and healed them. Very powerful testimonies from all around the United States.

When I began this on-line group, I was just beginning my one-year journey to re-discover God and His path for my life. Most of my posts were crying out for help, asking for prayer, asking for advice and encouragement. I had a troubled marriage, or I had questions on child-rearing, or I had something I wanted to share with the other ladies.

We laugh together, we cry together, we worship together...all from the comfort of our homes and within the confines of our computer systems. A network of women of various ages, backgrounds, faiths, and nationalities coming together.

As God has led me these past six months, I have morphed into a new Christian woman: confident in Christ's love, eager to share how God has blessed my family through my obedience and faith, and reaching out to the newer women who come on board with pain and tribulation.

Titus 2 says this: "The older women shall be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things -- that they may admonish the younger women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed."

I have grown so much in my faith through this board of women who hold firmly to the teachings of Titus 2....and now I am teaching others.

I pray for the women on this board, I pray about topics I should post and discuss with them. One particular time I was praying, Titus 2 came to mind and I thought, "Why not start a Mentoring program on this Board?"

I was really excited! The older women teaching the younger women! Thank you, Lord! I find that this is very lacking in our modern-day society, as well as our modern-day churches.

Immediately, there were groups of women signing up for a mentor who would come alongside them and encourage them, pray for them, and help them grow in their faith.

Pretty soon, there were more women requesting a mentor than those willing to step forward and BE a mentor.

I prayed about this, too.

After much prayer, I sent out a request within the forum for more mentors. I stated that they need not have a "perfect, sinless" life. They need not be a Superstar in the Christian community. All that is required to be a mentor is that you have walked with God, you have seen God work in your life many, many times, and you have a heart for Jesus and the women on this board who have just recently found faith in Christ or who are struggling with various difficulties in their faith.

More mentors signed up.

Currently, there are about 30 paired mentors and mentees...and more mentees have signed up, requesting a mentor, too.

And recently, several women on the board have reached out to me personally through email and requested my encouragement and prayers for them. One woman even said this: "When I think I need encouragement, I think of you. I think of you constantly and how you decided to fully rely on God..."

Wow! God is using ME! I felt so humbled and blessed...and at that moment, I realized that this forum, this board of struggling Christian women is my ministry.

Thank you, Lord, for leading me to this internet group of Christian women. When missionaries are flying halfway across the world to minister and preach God's word to the peoples of far-off countries, you used me from the comfort of my computer, from the comfort of my home, and with the knowledge and gifts/abilities You have given to me. Thank you, Lord. May You give me wisdom and knowledge and a tender heart for these women, and may You teach me the words to say and the scriptures to use to encourage fellow Christian mothers and wives all across the United States. Amen.