A Wise Woman Once Said
I have to let you in on a little conversation I recently had with my mom.
The topic—yet again, desires for a more simple life. More specifically, going back to some basics—as in hanging laundry outside on a clothesline to dry. (Hold your gasps).
I gave her a full and detailed list of the why’s and benefits—saving money on energy, the fresh smell, the simpleness of the chore—a full list I went through. I was proud of myself. At the end, I threw in a “wouldn’t that be nice?” question her way.
Her very quick response—“Nope!”
Befuddled, thinking she'd cheer me on, I asked, “Why not?”
“Because I HAD to do that for so long in my life. It’s not as fun as you think. It's different when you have to do it. It’s not worth your list of benefits. When you have an option to have it easier, you don’t want to go back.”
Wisdom in age, right there!
It didn’t take me long to link together thoughts and lessons over that conversation!
The apostle Paul said it best:
“I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me…But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.” Phl 3:12-13
Paul knew.
He lived it.
He had both good and bad times in the past, but they were nothing even close to the greatness of God once He got hold of him.
God wanted that very lesson to be printed to remind us.
We can sometimes look longingly to the times in our past and want to go back, or even try to stay where we’re at in the present, but God doesn’t want that for us at all! He wants us to move forward, for our place in eternity with Him.
He wants us to hear His words, “Move forward!” “Keep moving forward”; both in our lives and in our faith. Don’t long for what was, but press for what can be. Don’t sit in what we had, or what we know, but instead, mature. Mature in faith. Mature in a Jesus-relationship.
Keep learning.
Keep yearning.
Keep moving closer to the closeness of God.
Ours is not a stagnant faith. We must be followers that stay in motion. Faith-motion. To not rest in the lesson we learned yesterday, but to seek a new lesson for tomorrow. God’s lessons. His ways. His directions—Wisdom!
Then this—
“Teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live…then, they can train the younger women…so that no one will malign the word of God.” Titus 2:3-5.
We are called, sisters!
We are called first to be women of God, then to show those behind us how they become women of God. It’s a cycle that has stood the test of time, and will remain so, as long as we remain so. We have a responsibility to tell anyone one-day-younger than we are, in both age and faith, that with time comes not beauty, but wisdom. And that is greater than any style, firmness, size of jeans, or level of metabolisms. Those topics make great conversations, but we must never forget to add a disclaimer…only wisdom will remain!
My mom reminded me in that simple conversation that we should never sit longingly and romantically in the past, in order to forsake what is waiting for us in the future. And that future is an eternity with Jesus. That future is a hope we understand, and others are searching for. We are called to press forward, and then reach back to hold the hands of those not yet there.
Will I get a clothesline and give it a go?—maybe. I can feel many of your eyes rolling, over the mere suggestion. I’ll keep you updated. But I do know I will cherish the insights of those women before me who have faith-wisdom to speak over my life. Because those insights came from them doing and living, and falling and failing, and stumbling and pressing. The hard work-the inside work. Their crowns of wisdom are snuggly fit; our crowns are still being sized.
Press forward my friends.
Grow in Faith.
Learn and mature.
Store up that wisdom.
Be ready for her when she comes along.
Give her a reason to say, “A wise woman once said…”