ORIGINALLY POSTED APRIL 18, 2023
ON THE PORCH
FOOT IN THE DOOR
“Will you be my mentor?”
**Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Xavier was four months old, and I was a brand-new mom and already felt like a failure. I called on the woman who had loved on us every Sunday at church since we’d moved back to Sudan.
After praying about it and deciding she would accept this responsibility, Miss Ann agreed and took her mentoring job seriously. She committed to praying for our family, loving Benny, me, and my kiddos, and listening when I needed an ear. She walked me through many seasons of life and relentlessly pointed me back to God. When I would enter her home in tears of fear or frustration, she would hug my neck, encourage my heart and remind me that all mamas go through those times. God would get me through it.
**After David was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent.” 1 Chronicles 17:1
It hurt King David’s heart that he lived in a beautiful home and God dwelled in a tent. He began plans for a lavish temple to honor God, but God said, “No.” David was called to plan and gather, then lay his heart’s desire down and pass the baton on.
**”When your days are over and you go to be with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever.” 1 Chronicles 17:11-12
Not only did David bless his son and pass on his dream but asked for the entire nation’s wholehearted devotion to his successor.
**“And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion to keep your commands, statutes and decrees and to do everything to build the palatial structure for which I have provided.” 1 Chronicles 29:19
“David was faced with a choice: either selfishly insist on fulfilling his own ambitions, or step aside and willingly pass on the baton to the one whom God had appointed to complete the task. …He didn’t scramble to maintain his position or usurp the assignment God had delegated to another. He trusted. He submitted. He finished well . . . by not finishing. — Shirer, Priscilla. Awaken. B&H Publishing Group.
In two days’ time, God has sent quotes by both of these Godly women to speak to my heart. He is answering the prayer of my heart, ”Now what?? The kids are gone, and the house is quieter than it has been in decades.”
“But then, as I’ve gotten older, I really realize, No, I’m not here to be the star. I’m here to help you be the star. I’m here to help the next person in line. I’m going to open the door. I’m going to put my foot in it, and I’m going to keep my foot in it so the next woman coming after me has a leg up, a way to get in. And…that’s my gifting now. And it’s not a depletion and a diminishment. It’s a gift. It’s an investment I get to make in the future.” — Elisa Morgan
Just as I was faithfully and wholeheartedly mentored, it is my turn to be “Miss Ann” to others, including my girls…all of them. I have a few young ladies I hold hands while walking with daily. As they navigate the waters and rivers I’ve already swam, I can hold out a hand and encourage their hearts as Miss Ann did mine.
Miss Ann went to be with Jesus on Christmas Day 2021, and I still think about her every day. I miss the hugs and the way her face lit up when I came in the house. I never knocked, just marched right in, took my shoes off, and sat at her feet to settle in for a visit.
Thankfully God has brought a couple of very special women into my life that have eased the pain of losing Miss Ann. They have sailed the waters I am rowing through now, and they gently and lovingly guide me when I feel like I’m sinking. They are precious ladies of God, inside and out, and I am honored to have them walk this journey with me. I pray I am the same for younger women God leads my way.
LORD God, as I figure out what You desire for me in this new season of my life, I thank You for those who have walked these paths and don’t mind helping keep me centered with my eyes on You. Allow me to do the same for the younger ladies you send me to love on, including my own girls. Help me point them to You and remind them to allow You to lead, guide, and direct their actions and lives. May I always keep my foot in the door to help those behind me on their journey in this thing we call life. Allow me to leave a legacy of love in Jesus’ name. Amen
.**And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25
FIND US FAITHFUL
ON THE PORCH 