Thanks for Walking Beside Me

”When she speaks her words are wise,

And she gives instructions with kindness....

Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;

But a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.

Reward her for all she has done.

Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.”

Proverbs 31:26 &30-31(NLT)

Memories can be wonderful! Think back with me to your early years: what lady has made an impact in your life as a child, teen, and young adult? Last week I was at the church I grew up in, a small Baptist church in the village of Burtt’s Corner, NB. It brought back a lot of memories of people who had been in the church, who have made a spiritual difference in my life over the years and now they are in heaven. There are many I could mention, but, today I want to express my gratitude and thanks to one woman I had in my life.

The lady’s name was Florence Brewer. She was a married lady with one daughter. She was a student of the Bible, along with being a prayer warrior. Florence was also a good neighbor. She loved to cook, especially for people who needed help, like when someone was sick.

In my life, Florence walked beside me along my spiritual journey, as I grew into a young lady. Every time I was at church there she would be. When I would arrive, Florence would take the time to talk to me. Florence would ask how my week had been, what I had learned at school, or what was my favourite subject. Sometimes Florence would ask what I had learned in Sunday School. Sometimes she asked me what I was happy or sad about. Florence would pray for me and encourage me to pray, reminding me God always answers our prayers. Sometimes she asked what I was doing as a hobby, so I would bring knitting, or sewing to show her.

As time passed and I grew into my teens, Florence’s health started to decline, and she wasn’t able to do things with me, but she was always there. One ministry Florence held for years was doing the mission story at Vacation Bible School. There came a time when Florence couldn’t see well enough to do it, so she taught me how to do the flannelgraph story for the missions story. I don’t think I ever did it as well as she could, however, Florence was very gracious and told me I did just fine.

What about you? Who are the women in your life, who walked alongside you in your spiritual journey? Who made a difference in your life? Sometimes we forget to say thank you to these ladies. However, the most important way to show our appreciation is for you to model what these ladies showed you, by modelling it to the younger generation.

What young lady will you walk alongside their spiritual journey?

By Kathleen Brewer, B.A. in Rel.