When I Grow Up

Permit me a moment to brag about my friend Sharon. She had sent me such a sweet, hand-written note with her Christmas card, that I feel the need to tell you about her.

After years of homeschooling her four children, Sharon "graduated" and turned her focus to mentoring women and growing as a leader. She spoke at MOPs meetings, led Bible studies, and attended Bible classes and conferences. So when our church was in need of a new leader for the women's ministry, Sharon was the obvious choice.

Now what is surprising to those who do not know Sharon well is that Sharon is very much an introvert. She would be the first to tell you that she doesn't have the dominant personality that people would associate with a natural leader. Quiet and shy, Sharon prefers to be behind-the-scenes cooking and baking for church events. She and I have much in common! 

But I have heard her share about her personal struggles and her desire to be obedient to God, which has led her to where she is now– a pastor to women, a speaker, a daughter of God following the words of Titus 2:3-5. And as I have gotten to know her through our Bible study group and our women's discipleship time, I can say that, without a doubt, Sharon is who I want to be "when I grow up". My ambition is not to be her successor at our church, but to live in such a way that I could be a candidate.

As 2017 quickly approaches, I find myself thinking about my goals for the new year. One goal is to be purposeful in taking steps toward "growing up", with women like Sharon as my role models and mentors. Then in twenty years, I hope to be more kind, more patient, more wise, more bold, and more gracious than I was in 2016. I hope to be someone that young women can look up to. In short, I hope to be more like Christ.