You Are An Influencer
I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.
2 Timothy 1:5 (ESV)
A TRIBUTE TO THE WOMEN WHO INFLUENCED MY FAITH
I didn’t grow up in the most nurturing environment. It makes me sad sharing that. The adjectives I would use to describe my upbringing are: unstable, confusing, neglect, emotional trauma. Mental illness in the home coupled with a lack of knowledge for how it should be dealt with played a large part in shaping my adolescent life, tragically. However, I would never want to make my upbringing sound worse than it was. Amidst the hardship there were moments of joy and even normalcy, well, as normal as it could be. (As I have said in previous posts to learn more, I am happy to share more details about this via email or coffee.) All I know, is that it was not an ideal set of circumstances in which a child should grow up. I know this now more than ever now that I am a mother to three beautiful children.
Sometimes I wonder why the Lord plucked me out and chose me. Why He calls me His own. I’m so grateful that He saved me.
But.
This post isn’t about me. It’s about them… This post is about the women who modeled Christ in their lives.
Who coached me.
Parented their kids around me.
Let me linger at their home day after day.
Who faithfully taught at my small Christian school, welcomed me in for a week of VBS or Awana, taught me how to have devotions, encouraged me to lead worship, asked me how I was doing when they knew things weren’t the best at home, gave me a hug, prayed for me, and showed genuine kindness to me…
God’s faithfulness to me was evidenced by his surrounding me with godly examples. That’s how the gospel transformed my broken situation.
Oh woman of God, you have influence.
And maybe not the kind that gets three million views on TikTok or Instagram.
But a kind of influence that impacts girls around you who may be watching closer than you think.
The women who influenced my life the most weren’t public speakers, they weren’t vain in any regard, they weren’t shouting their beliefs from a megaphone.
No, they were faithful.
To their husbands, children, teaching, churches, families, circles of friends… They were devoted to their vocation and home. To Christ. They weren’t perfect, but modeled grace and humility in whatever they were doing.
I have made many a list of the kind of woman I envision myself being.
I know who I hope to become.
And tonight I realized… That my list is the culmination of attributes of all of them. Who these women were and what they meant to me during my most formative years- my coaches, teachers, friends’ parents.
I am not sure that they were aware they had an audience, they simply lived out what they did unto God. And I noticed big time. I noticed how they carefully corrected their kids. I noticed the patience they displayed when the class was acting up. I appreciated the encouragement to level up not only my physical ability in sports, but to display godly character and be a strong leader. I noticed their work ethic and I often question, to this day, how they got it all done!
I noticed these women simply living. Living lives that were ordinary, but bursting with fruitfulness.
So now my encouragement for us today is this: Be faithful where the Lord has you — your life might be changing someone else’s.
I love how Matt Chandler put it in one of his sermons, “Where the ideal is lacking, grace abounds.” Oh how his grace cared for me through other women who faithfully served a broken teen girl who was just trying to make sense of the world around her. My ideal was greatly lacking, and his grace did indeed abound. My life is a testimony of that.
If you came across this post and knew Sarah Shaw back in elementary or high school and might be wondering if I happen to be talking about you.. I probably am. Thank you.
Turning the corner into my thirties has been a season of deep reflection in my heart. My appreciation to those who helped shape my faith has grown.
And finally, to my readers, live faithfully in all you do. Welcome your child’s friends into your home, show hospitality. Teach with all you’ve got. Coach with all you’ve got. Love Jesus with your whole being. You truly are an influencer.
Thanks for reading today. Talk soon. — Sarah ☕️
