Little Women



This weekend the youth night girls went roller skating and had ice cream sundaes! It was hilariously fun and so special. Our times together have become more and more precious to me, and I find myself loving them deeper, the more I get to know them. They've told me that I'm like their "Momma," because of the way I look out for them and care about them. While that makes me feel old - I'm used to titles more like "sister" or "aunt" - it also makes me feel special. I've never really considered myself particularly maternal before, but when it comes to my girls, I feel like I have strength and courage and love enough to fearlessly fight a lion to rescue them. I want to see them become who God created them to be - to overflow with joy, to live in freedom and grace, to make decisions driven by love and rippling with inspiration, to leave a dent in the universe. "Yeah," I think to myself with a smile, "yeah, I think I could handle being like a momma to them."

I've been thinking this morning about the girls God's put in my life over the years... amazing, beautiful little women, so full of life and love. It seems to be a pattern, and I've been so blessed. They've been girls that have warmed my heart with hugs and help, broken my heart with choices to walk away, challenged me with stories and examples, made me crazy with their decisions that I thought unwise, encouraged me with their faithfulness and courage. We've studied God's word together, baked together, pulled pranks together, prayed for each other, held each other accountable, laughed and cried and really lived life together. They are girls I will stand by and fight for, and they will always be part of my family. Different girls have come in and out of my life for different reasons and seasons...



IVCF Girls' Small Group - Greensboro, 2003



TCF Teen Girls' Bible Study - Winston-Salem, 2010



Now I have a small group of girls from a new generation, from other parts of the world, with different histories than any girls I've loved before. They have their own challenges to overcome, their own passions to channel, their own dreams to persue. I'm so thankful I get to share this part of their lives with them, and I pray that I can watch and be a part of something incredible that God will do in and through them.



I-House Youth Girls' Night - Fort Wayne, 2011