How Three Ladies Made a Difference in My Life

November 2, 2015

I am delighted to introduce you to my sweet friend, Rachel Shaw, who wrote the blog in response to the question:

Who are the people the Lord has used to disciple and teach you what it means to be a godly woman?

First of all, I’d like to thank Miss Shirley for asking me to write a guest post for her blog! I’m so thankful for this amazing opportunity!

In today’s blog post, I’ll talk about three young ladies in my life who have been a godly example to me, encouraging me to keep my eyes on Christ, and serve and love the people around me. I hope you’ll stay and read about three people who have impacted me! Since I didn’t want to specifically name these ladies, I’ve slightly changed their real names.

Now, let’s begin!

Aubrey
No matter how busy her schedule may be, this mother of two hosts a Bible study every Monday night at her house for any high school girl who would like to learn more about God. Usually, she gets anywhere from 2-6 young ladies who would like to read and study God’s Word better. I am one of those who is currently attending her informal Bible study. At her Bible study, we read a chapter of the Bible (right now, we are studying the book of Ruth), talk about it, and then pray for each other. It’s a great time of fellowship and encouragement to high school girls from all walks of life. It is really sweet of Aubrey to take time out of her busy schedule—after all, being a mother of two young girls under the age of four can be quite time-consuming—to spend time with each one of us high schoolers. Aubrey is a good example of a disciple-maker/godly mentor because she encourages us to follow God and be a bright light to our community. Aubrey is a living, breathing example of a Titus 2 Woman who is faithful to do exactly what God says in Titus 2:3-5:

³Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior,not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, ⁴and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, ⁵to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

I have been impacted by her example and am encouraged to be just like her as she is obedient to God’s Word.

Amanda
This young lady loves to love people. During Christmas-time, my friend, Amanda, invited ten young ladies into her home to decorate cookies, make a gingerbread house, and watch a fun Christmas movie. Spending time with others seems to come so natural to her. A few months later, Amanda asked if I had seen a specific movie. After saying “No,” I added that I’d love to see it. Amanda replied excitedly, “I’ve got the DVD at my house! Would you like to come over sometime and watch it with me?” Amanda saw an opportunity to reflect Christ, and jumped on it! This was not something that she was forced to do; rather, it was an act of genuine love and kindness. Choosing to be a true, kind friend, Amanda saw an opportunity to get to know me better. When I arrived at her house the next day, she provided snacks for me—kettle popcorn and chocolate chip cookies – and even gave me a glass of lemonade. The movie that I saw turned out to be one of my favorite movies—all because of one lady’s generous hospitality! I enjoyed spending time with her that day. She blessed me tremendously, and I don’t know how to repay her for that gracious act of kindness.

Nellie
My friend, whom we’ll call Nellie, said something to me that made a huge difference in my life. She said, “Rachel, I encourage you to spend a lot of time with your sister because as you get older, she will be your very best friend. Cherish the moments you get to spend with her, and even when she moves away, take time to be there for her.” Nellie went on to explain that her older sister, who is now married and expecting a baby soon, was her best friend during her growing-up years. Even now, in her mid-twenties, this young lady makes an effort to spend quality time with her sister. Their close sister-bond is something that still continues to thrive even though they don’t live in the same house anymore. Nellie discipled me just like what God commands us to do in Matthew 28:18-20:

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

What a great challenge for me to be a godly example to my sister!

These are just a few of the many people who have made a difference in my life. I’ve only scratched the surface! There are so many other people who have impacted me, but the list is so long, it wouldn’t even fit in this blog post! When you start thinking about others and how they have impacted you, you can’t help but have a heart of gratitude to God for creating them! Just think about all of the people who have taken time out of their day to show you love. Think about the sacrifice on their part they had to make in order to humble themselves, think less about their wants and needs, and think more on the wants and needs of others. Now, that’s the kind of genuine, selfless love that I want to emulate to everyone I come in contact with!

That’s the kind of love that points people to the One Who loves us unconditionally and Who will never stop loving us and Who died for us while we were still sinners!

Let’s read more about God’s love in Romans 5:8: but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

While human beings are sinful and tend to think only about themselves (you and me included), God will never forget about us. He says in His Word that He will never leave us or forsake us. In Hebrews 13:5, we read: Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Take a moment today to thank Him for His unconditional love being displayed on the Cross and in the lives of His people every day!

MY GUEST BLOGGER:

Rachel Shaw is a 15-year-old young lady, who loves the Lord! She and her family live in Lafayette, Indiana. She loves to write, so please follow her blog, Rachel’s Reflections. Besides blogging, you may find her baking delicious desserts like blueberry muffins or apple oatmeal crisps, or you may find her reading one of her favorite books. She is currently writing a novel about a Pony Express rider. Stay tuned for more information about the book on her blog, Rachel’s Reflections!

I would be remiss if I did not mention that Rachel’s dad is Dr. Mark Shaw, a dear brother in Christ who has discipled me and taught me so much about loving the Lord, living out The Great Commission, and using the Holy Spirit-inspired Word of God to bring hope and help to hurting people.