FA: Ch 1: A Call to Mentorship

The Scripture that Carolyn uses throughout Feminine Appeal is Titus 2:3-5. It says:

"Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God."

In each chapter, she discusses one of the 7 attributes in detail with lots of practical application. But in the 1st chapter, we focus on command for the older women to teach the younger women.

I love the quote by Elisabeth Elliot on p. 22:

"It would help younger women to know there are a few listening ears when they don't know what to do with an uncommunicative husband, a 25 pound turkey, or a two-year-old's tantrum."

How true! Just someone who has been along this path before and has survived! Someone to listen and come alongside. This is what Christ wants women to do for one another.

My challenge for you is to find someone you can mentor- in the everyday and in the love and application of His Word. Many of you probably live with a good candidate. If you are a mother of a girl- it's God's desire that you teach her everything you know about marriage and motherhood. And the stuff you don't know, together, you should find someone who does : )

Young women need the counsel of older women. Listen to these very true stories...

About a month ago, I had two close friends come over to discuss their marriages. They both are very recently married- 2 and 6 months along. One of them told me about her struggles at the grocery store. Having never lived on her own, she wasn't used to shopping for everyday necessities. "Dru-Lynn, have you ever bought laundry detergent? How do you know what kind to buy? There are so many choices! I just picked the one with the prettiest container. And have you seen the toilet paper aisle?!?"

I felt like a complete failure as a friend. Poor girl didn't know how to buy laundry detergent and toilet paper! Don't tell her mother. She'd be devastated!! (Does your daughter, cousin, next door neighbor girl, niece, etc... know how to buy these products??) Mentorship starts in the everyday things!

The other close friend was very angry with her husband. Excessively angry. I'm a little worried for the young man's survival, actually. After lots of statements of his stupidity and threats on his life (not kidding...) we got down to the root of the issue. She's frustrated that she has to tell him exactly, word for word, her expectations.

Oh, dear. Had I forgotten to share that, too? That most men don't know you want red roses, or to go out to dinner or touched here but not there- unless you tell them directly. That they're not stupid or insensitive- but that they really don't know.

What she needed was someone to share in her frustration but to urge her to lovingly express her expectations and to meet her husband's needs with a happy heart.

Young women NEED the wisdom, knowledge and experiences of older women. We need someone to agree that life is hard, but that it is livable. We need someone to show us how to do things efficiently and happily and how to see God through the difficult, mundane, crazy situations.

So.... I want you to pray about young women in your life who need guidance and direction- in the everyday( grocery shopping, cookie making, meal planning, underwear washing, toilet scrubbing, etc. etc.) and in their walk with the Father (praying, reading, confessing, forgiving, encouraging, loving, sacrificing, etc. etc.)

May God use you and your experiences for His glory!