The Group!

The group session… the group bible study… is an amazing thing but difficult at first.

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Women are protective! We don’t like people to see the mess under the surface.  We don’t like to share because we think our problems are small compared to someone else’s problems. And they may be, but that does not mean they are not hard and they aren’t real problems for you!

I recently found a group of women that all have struggles of their own. They all are seeking Christ and building lasting friendships built on a foundation of Christ.  I never really thought about there being a difference but there is.. These ladies offer support and prayers. They don’t really give advice but provide a soft spot to land and a sounding board, which really is all we want a lot of the times!

Your walk is your walk and my walk is my walk... Meaning your hardships are yours and mine are different from yours.

The one time this stuck out to me most was when I was at one of my first women’s events and one of the ladies at my table had battled with cancer and still currently has a tumor that she must live with everyday… and my problems were being overworked, overwhelmed and feeling undervalued by everyone around me.  I shared, and then it was the other lady’s turn to share (we will call her Jane). Jane said that everything was kind of middle of the road and her tumor hadn’t grown, so thumbs up on that!! I then think oh shit, yes, Jane has a tumor! I nearly forgot because she looks so healthy and is so happy! I then go into a guilt trip where I am in my head saying “You ARE A JERK and I can’t believe that you think your issues are big when other people have suffered real loss and have real health issues!  Real stuff, you diva!!”

Really though….we all have a different path!  Her path may break me! Her path could be incredibly impossible for me, and she makes it looks easy, from afar! Your path could cripple me so that I could not move.  My path could be just as crippling to someone else. My pastor says “we are all designed with a greater purpose.” I believe he is right…

I don’t know what my greater purpose is, but I bet my woman’s bible study group helps me figure it out!  

For those of you women who have never experienced a group of women that are not judging you - not even your clothes or hair- you should find a bible study group.  

True Christians that follow Jesus don’t judge you.  Jesus chose to have dinner with the tax collectors and the sinners.  When he was asked about this, his response was “it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9: 12-13

The whole point of Jesus was to get the ones that were lost.  You aren’t too far gone. You are not a lost cause. You haven’t done so wrong that you can’t be forgiven!

He wants to give mercy, not demand sacrifice.  

In our bible study, we don’t spend our time complaining, we spend our time building each other up.  Telling of God’s goodness. We pray. We don’t vent. We don’t gossip. We share things that helped us and ask for help.  Tears are shed and tissues are passed around. Sometimes the tears are sad and sometimes they are incredibly happy.

I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone.  Reach out to a friend, download the Bible app and start there if you aren’t sure where to start.  Be brave. You don’t even have to talk if you join an established group, just go and listen. You will never know the encouragement you could find unless you try.

Be Different Folks!