I've been preparing for next week's leadership workshop at the ProvenWay Retreat. Looks like there will be close to 100 women there to be encouaraged and equipped to lead. The women who will come are mostly from north Texas, but there will be some from Louisiana and central Texas as well. Almost all of them are serving in a women's ministry in a church.
It's such a blessing to get to serve women who have been gifted and/or called to serve in a leadership role in ministry. There is precious little available to equip women leaders and sadly the churches do little to nothing to help us. One could get the idea that they don't really want women to grow in their leadership, but I prefer to believe that just as with so many other wise and valuable activities, the church simply mis-applies their resources. In other words, I prefer to assume ignorance over malice.
One of the major frustrations for me while I served on staff was the lack of development for women in the church. I prayed and begged for a mentor for over two years - so hungry I was for someone to help me develop the gift He's given me. My pastors said they were at a loss to find someone who they felt could really challenge me. I wonder.
I made some calls to several churches, the denominational headquarters and even the seminary - no one seemed to know where to point me. My journal reflects the lonliness I felt as a woman trying to find other women who could 'get me' and teach me. I also begged God to explain to me why He would give me such a gift and not provide a mentor to help me develop it in a healthy way.
Little did I know that down the road I would have the opportunity to help other women avoid that same frustration. It's no wonder I'm so excited about next week's retreat. I thank God for the way He let me experience that pain and frustration as preparation for relieving it for others.
What a mighty God we serve.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
It's always interesting (in hindsight, of course!) to
see how God allows us to experience frustration,
hardship, and even anger because He plans to tap into
it later in our lives. Had you not sought so hard for
someone to develop you, you probably wouldn't have the
passion that you do now for developing other women.
At the time, it's never fun to go through those trying
times, but it's so encouraging later in our lives to
look back and say, "hey, You really brought some good
from that time, didn't You, God?" :)
Post a Comment