And here at last is the final Sisterhood of Stories post. I was saving it for later when I lost all interest in blogging–and didn’t even post this short essay that my mother-in-law sent to my inbox months ago. I thought that it nicely wraps up some of the different stages and seasons that women of God find themselves in. Right now, I am in a season of constant demands from three precious (but demanding!) little people. Right now, they are asleep, and I hardly know what to do with myself–hence a post. 🙂 Sometime, maybe, I will come back and polish my writing skills again. For now, I will tell you this: she was a girl, and her name is Caroline, and yes, every season is worth it! ~Alison
When a girl is young, time seems to drag on endlessly. Days, weeks, and months seems to last forever from birthday to birthday. But as a girl enters upper childhood and early teens, responsibilities increase and time seems to speed up. Suddenly there are demands on her time and it doesn’t seem to reach around anymore: school homework, practicing and studying for a driver’s test, youth group activities, chorus practices, Bible Quizzing, school or home-school field trips and activities, besides chores at home. Now the teen needs to learn important lessons in prioritizing her time.
In reflecting on that, my advice to young girls is to make the most use of your time when you are young to learn valuable skills, whether it is learning to play a musical instrument, doing embroidery, sewing your own clothes, preparing a meal, cleaning the house, doing laundry, pursuing a hobby like art, gardening, or writing, etc. Learning those life skills while you are young will hold you in good stead when the demands on your time are greater. Whether you marry in the future, go into voluntary service or move away from home to teach school in a new community, you will someday need to learn to care for your own needs. It will be good if you have some experience in these basic life skills before you are thrust into a new situation alone and far away from your family.
Another area that needs your time and attention is your relationship with God. While you are young and your brain isn’t filled with too many other responsibilities, is a good time to develop a consistent devotional life. Do you like to sing? Spend time praising God or learning new songs. Are you good at memorizing? Now is a good time to join a Bible Quiz team and fill your mind with Scripture. Do you like to read? Read through the Bible in various different versions to help you understand it better. Are you more of an auditory learner? Listen to the Bible being read on a Bible app. Develop a prayer burden for the needs around you and start a prayer list to help you bring those needs to God regularly.
If you have the opportunity, go to Bible School (and more than once, if you can) to do more in-depth studies on the Scriptures, and also develop your social skills by relating to people from different states or countries. This will make your life richer. If it is God’s will for you to go into mission work, don’t resist His call. It will help you develop a burden for the lost, open your eyes to the needs of the world, and change your life. Perhaps it is God’s will for you to stay in the home community and be a witness there. If so, let your light shine and be open to the opportunities that God brings to you to do outreach there.
If God calls you into marriage and parenting, His role for you will be different than for a single person. Suddenly the days of staying at home wiping runny noses and changing dirty diapers may not seem as exciting as handing out tracts on the street corners or flying to a foreign country to teach or work in a clinic. Now just having a consistent devotional time with babies and toddlers around the house, may be a daily struggle. God knows that there are seasons of life where you don’t have many uninterrupted moments to spend with him. Post verses by your sink when washing dishes, pray for your family as you sort dirty laundry, read a short snatch of Scripture while you nurse the baby. God knows your main responsibilities are in caring for the children He has sent into your life. You are shaping the next generation. Read Bible stories to your toddlers or listen to your children as new readers begin their own quiet time with God by reading a few verses a day for themselves while you ponder on the lesson God may have for you in it. Being a mom is a busy and long-lasting stage of life, and the demands are great, but keep talking to God to keep up your connection with Him.
As the children grow older, become more independent, and can care for themselves better, you will be once again able to return to a season when you will have more time to spend with God. Don’t let other hobbies crowd it out, but give God priority in your life, so that you can continue to grow and mature in your relationship with Him. By now, you will have weathered quite a few storms of life and realize more than ever your need for God. Also, other younger women and girls are looking to you as an example. Don’t let them down, lose out in your later years of life, and become a stumbling block of discouragement to others. Finish the race of life well!