I was lucky enough to grow up in a family that prayed over me even before I was born. I feel at times I had an unfair advantage, almost a head start and being pointed in the right direction, but it took more than just my family to keep me on the narrow path.
My Mema and Grandma were both great listeners and wonderful to get advice from. They both loved Jesus and whatever they told me came from a place of deep love for both me and Jesus. Granted I was under the age of 12 when most of our deep conversations happened, but none the less, those are still very important years.
Outside of family, "The Easter Bunch", the first woman that I remember knowing she loved Jesus without saying a word was Bernice Rummage. I did not like shelling peas by hand, but Bernice had a pea shelling machine. I would go over to her house with my mom to shell peas and listen to Bernice and mom talk. I don't know if they really talked about Jesus, but I remember as girl knowing she was different. She oozed kindness and genuine selfless love. You just felt special being in her presence.
Moving into high school, my parents bought a different ranch and I found myself in a new church where the youth program was having a little bit of a struggle. I also had been transplanted into a new school that was nothing like where I came from. All my childhood friends were gone, the youth leadership was in trouble at church, the kids at school were not super welcoming (at first), my parents were next level busy owning and operating a salebarn so they were not home as much anymore. I my little world was being disturbed and jumbled. I needed a safe, sound, solid person and I asked God to help. The Lord plopped Marie Loftin in my lap and there couldn't have been a better time or person.
I am not exactly how this came to be, but I ended up driving to Mrs. Loftin's house after practice and sometimes on Saturday mornings. We would sit at her sewing machine and she would teach me how to sew by making outfits for different people in Africa. We would talk about what Jesus was teaching us, how He had got us through different seasons. Mind you, my rough seasons were not that intense at 14 years old, Mrs. Loftin had way more to offer in her 70s. However, the things she said I clung to and remembered when life got to be a little rougher. What I remember the most is the amount of love that radiated from her. She was pure gold. Even into college she would send me hand written cards to make sure I was okay and I would occasionally call her to fill her in on life, let her know how to pray for me and she would share her prayer request too.
After college, several years passed before God brought the next woman in my life; Diane Graham. Now, Diane is going to be a lifer, she isn't going anywhere. There will be a whole other blog and story about Diane Graham. Diane came into my life a year or so before I would really need someone. She was a soft place to land, a ball of fire when I needed correction, and my fiercest champion. She is someone who I could debate theology with and leave loving each other more. She challenges me. She if fun.
There were several other women along the way who played a role; Susan Flippen, Carmen Maxwell, Ashley B, Vanessa O'Neal, Julie Henson, Noel Devin, Karla Devin, to just name a very few.
I am sure the Lord will bring more over the years because He isn't finished with me yet. But to steal a quote from Carmen (who also has a gift for the best one-liners and is a power house in heels for the Kingdom of God), "What you see here not just me, but a sum of what God has done and all the women that have poured into me."
It is a sum of all the "big sisters" in Christ who have helped keep me on the narrow path, saw God working in my life and cheered me on, held up my arms when I felt weak, who fought to keep me safe, provided a place to rest and heal. The best part tracing the thread of all these women in my life is this: the threads can be traced back tethered to the feet of Jesus. 'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus.