The next installment of Dusty Women, bet you thought this series was done.
Several months ago I came across Titus 2 Tuesday blog posts. Inspired to do the same thing I set out to make a list of my own questions. Women who have encouraged me to be a radical follower of Jesus. Radical in the sense they love God with all the heart, mind and soul and their neighbor as themselves. They are ordinary women who love and serve an Extraordinary God. Women I want to be like so the Word of God will not be dishonored. Titus 2:5
I ask about coffee or tea and vanilla or chocolate to find out who I will be drinking coffee and eating chocolate cake with!!
I wanted a catchy title other than God’s Women, so I asked a friend for help and she said
what is something that defines us? Maybe not where we’re from but where we’re going?
I always love the analogy of following Jesus so closely that you get the dust of your shepherd on you. Following in the footsteps of your Shepherd. So you could call us Dusty Women.
I have known Carolyn D. for ten years. I count it an honor to know this quiet and humble woman. I haven’t spent as much time with her as I would like because she and her husband come to church from over a half hour away. When we do get to have lunch together with our spouses, she is like a sister…we just pick up where we left off. I interviewed Carolyn a month ago via email. Her response tells you the kind of person she is, humble and transparent.
Sorry this took me over a month to do. I have thought about my answers to your questions over and over and hoped that they would come out profoundly and awesome but they aren’t…..that isn’t me. I finally realized a few minutes ago that what matters is that we give testimony to Him when asked to and hopefully bring glory to Him and not ourselves.
Describe yourself in 5-7 words.
Lover of life; often sliding in sideways! (I LOVE this description–Jody)
That sounds like “crazy talk” so I think I will say this: daughter, sister, His child, aunt, wife, friend. I listed these adjectives chronologically in terms of my life (with the exception of friend. I’ve been blessed to have friends my whole life.) If I were to prioritize these adjectives, my hope would be to have my description look like this: His child, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, friend.
Briefly describe how and when you were rescued from the domain of darkness and transferred into the Kingdom of God. Colossians 1:13.
I do not remember the exact date when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. It was summertime and I was around seven or eight years old. My best friend had invited me to Vacation Bible School (VBS) at her church and it was during VBS one morning when I placed my faith and trust in Jesus Christ and asked him to come into my life. Unfortunately for me, by the time I reached my late teens and early 20’s the “things of the Lord” were not of importance to me and I pretty much lived my life as I pleased. Right after my 24th birthday, I realized I had pretty much reached the end of myself and had a huge void in my life. It was at that time that I recommitted my life to the Lord and I have never looked back! Although I regret those “lost years” of my late teens and early 20’s, I know that it was not the Lord who moved away from me, but instead it was me who pushed the Lord away. He never leaves (Hebrews 13:5); He restores and redeems; His grace and mercy are amazing!
What encouragement would you give to a woman of any age who has found out life has not turned out how she envisioned it to be?
Two words: Trust Him! When I was around five years old there were three things I dreamed for my life: to be a wife, to be a mother, and to be a school teacher. That dream never really changed but never became reality as I had envisioned it would.
As a teenager, I had many opportunities to play mother to my two younger sisters while my mother battled severe depression. At age 29, I had a failed first marriage and shortly thereafter, saw my parents’ marriage unravel after 40 years of marriage. A few years later, the Lord brought a wonderful man into my life, my husband Bob. Since that time, we have dealt with infertility, Bob’s cancer battle over the last nine years, job losses for both of us, and most recently navigating the care of aging parents.
Although my life has not turned out like anything I had envisioned it to be, I have come to realize that it is okay to surrender my dreams to Him. His plans for me are better. Bob and I did not get to become parents, but we have been blessed with the privilege of being uncle and aunt to several wonderful nieces and nephews. As for the school teacher dream, well, 3½ years ago the Lord led me to an administrative assistant position in the high school within the school district where we live. I work for two principals and although I do not teach, I get to interact with students in a school setting. For me, it is a great job (and mission field).
Some of my favorite verses are found in Isaiah 43:1-3
”Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God….”
He has redeemed us; He will not leave us; He will bring us through whatever the situation is. We simply have to trust Him.
What does God’s Word mean to you?
For me, God’s Word is life. It is my daily bread. It is comfort and guidance. And I especially love the places where God reveals His sense of humor within His Word!
What does the Body of Christ mean to you?
I like to think of the Body of Christ as God’s word in action. In terms of the church where I worship, LaFayette Alliance Church, the Body of Christ reveals itself as an awesome family. We all come together with our strengths and weaknesses; sometimes bruised and broken in search of the One True God. As a part of the body, not only should we seek to be cared for/served, but we should also seek to serve and care for others.
Coffee or Tea?
Tea. Sweet tea and flavored iced teas!
Vanilla or Chocolate?
Chocolate. White chocolate, dark chocolate, and then milk chocolate. My husband will tell you that it’s one of the five basic food groups!
