"Friendship with a vision." For some reason that phrase has really stuck out to me this week. You see, for the last week all of us have been in Florida attending workshops and listening to talks put on for Navigator staff in the collegiate world. Many of the talks were about discipleship and a phrase used to describe discipleship was "friendship with a vision." Even though this phrase may seem trite to others, and as my husband said "as vague as it gets", that phrase still resonated with me. However, it also made re-evaluate some things in my life.
This last year semester has been harder in regards to time management. My priorities are 1) God 2) Ryan 3) Our home 4)Work 5)Bible training 6)Discipling women. This has been very difficult for me to wrestle with. When I look at this list 1 cor 7:34 comes to mind "An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband." I love my husband dearly. I am so grateful to God for our home and for my employment of teaching gymnastics. However, I now see the gift God gives single women, and I see the beauty of it.
With that said, I MUST also view this season in life I am NOW also as gift from God. I need to embrace it and use it wisely. I talked with many women this weekend to listen to what it looks like for them to do ministry with a husband. Thankfully, the answers were as diverse as the women. There seemed to be no "right" way. What I did hear though is to have one, to be faithful to at least one women and love her well.
So goes the phrase, friendship with a vision. My friend Alicia and I are going through the book of Ephesians this semester. Alicia is a student at SDSU who also happens to only live a couple blocks from my house. Yesterday she showed me this great restaurant that's an identical copy of Super Salad ( A restaurant my family loves going to even now). It was such a joy to talk about life, God, family, school all while eating amazing chili and biscuits. I love the way she can take a complicated idea in the Bible and phrase it so perfectly understandable. However, during the course of out time I remembered, I'm not just meeting with Alicia, I'm meeting every women Alicia ever comes into contact with. So I asked her "how would you explain the gospel?" She gave a great answer, but I challenged her to try and simplify it even further. I then asked if I could share with her 1 of the many ways you can use to share the gospel. I showed her the "Bridge Illustration." She listened intently and seemed genuinely interested in what I was sharing. To the point that at the end, she even asked if she could keep the illustration I had showed her! I then asked if I could train her to show this with others, and she readily agreed.
Friendship with a vision. I love hanging out with Alicia, but I also love that God has blessed me with tools and experience that I can then pass on to Alicia, to help her bless others.
This last year semester has been harder in regards to time management. My priorities are 1) God 2) Ryan 3) Our home 4)Work 5)Bible training 6)Discipling women. This has been very difficult for me to wrestle with. When I look at this list 1 cor 7:34 comes to mind "An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband." I love my husband dearly. I am so grateful to God for our home and for my employment of teaching gymnastics. However, I now see the gift God gives single women, and I see the beauty of it.
With that said, I MUST also view this season in life I am NOW also as gift from God. I need to embrace it and use it wisely. I talked with many women this weekend to listen to what it looks like for them to do ministry with a husband. Thankfully, the answers were as diverse as the women. There seemed to be no "right" way. What I did hear though is to have one, to be faithful to at least one women and love her well.
So goes the phrase, friendship with a vision. My friend Alicia and I are going through the book of Ephesians this semester. Alicia is a student at SDSU who also happens to only live a couple blocks from my house. Yesterday she showed me this great restaurant that's an identical copy of Super Salad ( A restaurant my family loves going to even now). It was such a joy to talk about life, God, family, school all while eating amazing chili and biscuits. I love the way she can take a complicated idea in the Bible and phrase it so perfectly understandable. However, during the course of out time I remembered, I'm not just meeting with Alicia, I'm meeting every women Alicia ever comes into contact with. So I asked her "how would you explain the gospel?" She gave a great answer, but I challenged her to try and simplify it even further. I then asked if I could share with her 1 of the many ways you can use to share the gospel. I showed her the "Bridge Illustration." She listened intently and seemed genuinely interested in what I was sharing. To the point that at the end, she even asked if she could keep the illustration I had showed her! I then asked if I could train her to show this with others, and she readily agreed.
Friendship with a vision. I love hanging out with Alicia, but I also love that God has blessed me with tools and experience that I can then pass on to Alicia, to help her bless others.
