Who's Your [Spiritual] Mama?

Who's Your Spiritual Mama? 

And speaking of mentoring and nurturing, recently I have sensed a strong prompting to introduce the generations of upcoming young women to Elisabeth Elliot (1926-2015) right here on this post. Then I remembered I wrote a blog post about her years ago and I found it! It was March 29, 2014! She has had and continues to have a profound impact on my life through her countless books, her radio show, her podcast, all can be found on the above link. 

When I read my old post from March 2014, I had to laugh out loud, because it is the foundational material that helped me write my book, NURTURE, published August 2022! I didn't know God planned all along ... oh, the sovereignty of God! Never underestimate the power of words of encouragement! NURTURE is a book about women encouraging women to live for Christ. 

March 29, 2014

For some reason God has chosen to give me three--yes--three spiritual mothers...so far! All I can think is: "Wow, I must really need a lot of help if God sends me three when my own mother loved me unconditionally and was my greatest cheerleader and loving encourager!" 

For those of you unfamiliar with the term, a spiritual mother is a mentor. The concept comes from Scripture. "Older women are to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God" (Titus 2:3-5). 

Spiritual mothers can be any age, what matters is the older woman is to teach the younger. She could be old enough to be our mother and/or grandmother or a 35-year-old mentoring a 20-year-old.

My experience with my spiritual mothers is they're women who have been faithful followers of Jesus for decades and have hearts filled with rich, life-giving wisdom and humility. They're fierce prayer warriors because they know God is a mountain-moving God and it glorifies Him when they pray. They walk closely with Jesus every day. And there's no fanfare with a true spiritual mother. She doesn't boast or brag about her wisdom and knowledge. She has a gentle and quiet spirit because the Lord has quieted her soul with His love over the years. She has a beautiful, deep relationship with her Savior. She has a sense of humor because she's learned not to take herself too seriously, she dearly loves her own family and the whole wide world of believers! She is full of life, not pride. 

She is usually someone you would not expect to be so filled with a huge dose of Holy Spirit power. But when she walks into a room she's radiant with God's presence. See, she's not impressed with worldly things like designer clothes, people pleasing and her own fame. She's really cool because she has Christ confidence and filled with His love and His light. This describes my spiritual mothers.

I was inspired to write about spiritual mothering/mentoring when my hubby showed me a recent story on Elisabeth Elliot in WORLD magazine. Wow. It was very moving for me because it brought back sweet memories of my early years as a Christian. 

Other than my mother who joyfully loved me and my four siblings unconditionally, my first spiritual mother was Mrs. Evelyn Green.  When I moved from south Florida to Atlanta, GA, I sought her out as a newborn Christian and asked her if we could get together. We had a special bond for 30 years!  Whenever Elisabeth Elliot came to Atlanta for a conference as the key speaker, we'd be sure to go hear her share her wisdom and wit! Evelyn called her "Betty." Mrs. Green went to her heavenly home at the age of 102.

Elisabeth Elliot Conference, Atlanta, GA 

(from left: my close friend Sue Becker of the Bread Beckers, 

Elisabeth Elliot, Evelyn Green, me!)

Elisabeth Elliot was widowed twice. This is Lars Gren, her third husband, 

who was her spiritual covering every time she was speaking.

Elisabeth Elliot Conference , Atlanta, GA,

I didn't know Elisabeth Elliot personally,

 but she was always gracious in posing with us for 

photos at her book signing table. 

                                                        And again....

                                             and again... in Atlanta. 

I was hungry to learn how to live for God, so I collected a few of Elisabeth Elliot's books over the years. Just sayin'...

She didn't know she was a mentor/spiritual mother to me, but Elisabeth Elliot was gracious to autograph her videos when I asked. I imagine there are thousands of women like me who have grown in Christ through her life and ministry. After reading the World Magazine article, I'm continuing to be amazed and exhorted with her words of grace and trust.

I learned in my 20's to seek out a godly woman and then ask her to spend time with me. But it's never too late to start, Sisters!  At the time of this writing, my spiritual mother, Frances, is 90! She's a firecracker, a tiny package radiant with God's light and enthusiastically fueled by His Holy Spirit. Her prayers blow through the roof because they're motivated by a passionate faith.

We are the Body of Christ. We are the light of the world. If you don't have a spiritual mother, my sisters, pray for one. Invite one into your life. Pray for someone you can mentor! You won't believe the blessings. And God showed me I'm not the only one enriched for spending time with her.  Over and over it was obvious she wanted me to come alongside her, too. I had no idea. How glorious is that?
For His Glory,
Polly

May 7, 2023

Here's a page from Elisabeth Elliot's book, 'Keep A Quiet Heart."  

                       "Several Ways to Make Yourself Miserable

1. Count your troubles, name them one by one--at the breakfast table, if anybody will listen, or as soon as possible thereafter.
2. Worry every day about something. Don't let yourself get out of practice. It won't add a cubit to your stature, but it might burn a few calories.
3. Pity yourself. If you do enough of this, nobody else will have to do it for you.
4. Devise clever but decent ways to serve God and mammon. After all, a man's gotta live.
5. Make it your business to find out what the Joneses are buying this year and where they're going. Try to do them at least one better even if you have to take out another loan to do it.
6. Stay away from absolutes. It's what's right for you that matters. Be your own person and don't allow yourself to get hung up on what others expect of you.
7. Make sure you get your rights. Never mind other people's. You have your life to live, they have theirs.
8. Don't fall into any compassion traps--the sort of situation where people can walk all over you. If you get too involved in other people's troubles, you may neglect your own.
9. Don't let Bible reading and prayer get in the way of what's really relevant--things like TV and newspapers. Invisible things are eternal. You want to stick with the visible ones."

Elisabeth Elliot left us with a powerfully inspiring legacy. If you haven't heard of her I encourage you to check out the links in this post. If you are already very familiar with her life, you know her legacy is a treasure...and it needs to be shared with the generations coming behind us!

A cheerful 💖 is a continual feast!  

Polly

Sharon's Superpower is a Rock

It's no wonder why people ask Sharon Davidson how she's able to keep smiling, when they hear her husband has endured and survived eight heart attacks; his most recent was in 2003, and one of their sons died of a massive heart attack in 2020 at the age of 33.

I just wanted to write about her because I was drawn to her cheerfulness, sense of humor and patience, in the midst of running a very busy six-register self-checkout in our local grocery store. We all know events in 2020 created a culture of unrest that seemed to be magnified especially for shoppers in lines waiting to check out. I discovered there is so much more to her story.

Sharon at her post in the self-checkout

Sharon and her husband are parents of two sons and two daughters and have 10 grandchildren. 

She was surprised when I asked her if I could share her story here. "No one has ever asked me that before, but it's ok, I'm willing!" We sat at a table in the popular coffee shop built inside the major grocery store where she works. She shared her heart. If she's not helping a customer at one of the six registers, I'd talk to her when I'm using the self-checkout. I never knew her last name, so I asked her. She said, "Davidson, like the motorcycle!" 

When I laughed, she said, "My husband wanted to name our daughter, Harley, and I said, 'NO!'' My husband has a weird sense of humor-- to be an only child--I guess he'd have to be to be married to me 40 years. He's been a gospel singer and played guitar. He has been a jack-of-all-trades. He's retired now."

Sharon is the seventh born of 10 children. Their father worked outside the home and their mother worked as a homemaker. She describes her 90-year-old mother as a "go-getter."  When Sharon and her siblings send their mother a card, letter, or gift, they sign their name and their number in the birth line, such as "Sharon #7."

"My mom taught us to help others. I've worked since I was 9 years old, by cutting grass, baby sitting, and doing laundry. I even made cigarette runs and grocery store runs for neighbors. We kids had to come up doing things for ourselves, as you could imagine with 10 of us!" she said. 

Sharon Davidson in the grocery store break room having dinner after a long day working the self-checkout area.

Within generations of her own family Sharon has experienced brokenness, abandonment, and other serious issues that still could tear their family apart.

One of the Bible verses she stands on is:"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13). "I'm able to overcome the brokenness in my family by the grace of God. I don't know where I'd be without God -- probably in a padded cell! Through a family situation, God sent our year-old granddaughter to live with us and her life and joy in our home prepared me for what was to come next. She was sent to us exactly one year before my son died. I was back at work three weeks after he died. God is the Higher Power that understands me and gives me strength. Since my son passed, I still have emotional moments triggered, but I know Jesus is teaching me to learn to have faith in Him and He's with me every step I take. It is instead of leaning on the world and other people. If I want somebody to support me, I want Somebody who is definitely in control."

In addition to their large family, they've been foster parents for the last 13 years, mainly to teens from 12-17 years old, and temporary foster parents for 25 children. "These kids from broken homes are grown up and still keep in touch and intentionally come by and see me at this store. They say things like, 'Hey, Mom, how are you doing?' These children we fostered call me, send me letters from college. I love it! They've gone onto college, have great jobs and are happy!"

Sharon says she's working on this new generation of juniors and seniors who come into the store on Friday and Saturday nights. "It's crazy with kids here on the weekend. If they act up, I'll correct them and tell them, 'You're preparing for adulthood, you've got to behave in the store!' They'd say I'm like a mom to them."

There were a few people who stopped by the table where we were meeting to say hello to Sharon and a few people even said to me, "If you are writing about Sharon, you need to know she is great and we all love her! She's the best!"  Some were even high school age! I saw it up-close that she is influencing generations!

Her life is full. She and her husband regularly go to church and to their grandchildren's ballgames. "My number one thing I wanted to be was a mom. I'm doing what God has for me to do: a guardian, a nurturer. This is what I wanted to be. I wanted to be a wife and a mother. When I applied to be a temporary foster parent, I had to fight my way to become one. I wanted to take care of my own family, work full time, and take in foster kids. A judge asked me how could I do all of this? I told him my verse, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" and he said, "Let's not bring THAT into this."'

 

"I told him that's my Rock you're talking about. He holds my hand, and sometimes my mouth because I'm putting my foot in it." 

"A cheerful heart has a continual feast" 

Proverbs 15;15

💖Polly

Nora's Legacy

Nora Joiner wouldn't let herself be compared to the women on social media who were flashing their perfect bodies and wealthy lifestyles. She had her eyes on the blessings of life that money could not buy: an abundant life overflowing with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. She had such great wealth because she was rich toward God.

Nora was on staff at Woodmont Golf & Country Club as the housekeeper. But she was really so much more than her official title there. Nora was a humble, absolutely selfless woman who consistently went the extra mile to meet someone's need. She didn't just dust and vacuum, she voluntarily would climb to the top of a (too tall) ladder to replace light bulbs, and she would take it upon herself to go and find a ladder. She cleaned up litter, blowing along the sidewalks surrounding the clubhouse, mop and scrub walls, floors, and toilets. I've even seen Nora touch up nicks and spots on walls with a small can of paint she purchased herself at the nearby hardware store. 

Without drawing any attention to herself, she quietly "kept house" all over the entire country club area, which included the Woodmont Racquet Club, plus the additional areas of tennis courts, and the two swimming pool areas. I've seen her drive a golf cart across the busy intersection of Gaddis Road and East Cherokee Drive to clean bathrooms and pick up trash around the pool area. Shall I go on? Her work ethic was stellar and consistent -- and way beyond her job description.

Nora Joiner in her "office" where she served people through her work as a housekeeper, an encouraging friend to many, and a prayer warrior.

Anyone who knew her in our expansive neighborhood will recall her kind and gentle spirit, servant's heart, and passion for God and prayer. She transformed the storage closet where her cleaning supplies were kept into her personal prayer closet. She had Bible verses posted on the closet walls to remind herself where her strength came from and to know God will keep helping her. She daily prayed for fellow employees who had requested prayer, as well as tennis and golf members who would show up in the dining room for a quick bite of lunch.

Nora always took time with club members whether they were asking her to pray for them or whether she was inquiring about their families. She was genuinely interested. I'm sure she was unaware of how many people appreciated her and the bright light that shown through her. 

And then Nora got a doctor's report from a colonoscopy that she had cancer, so a portion of her colon and appendix had to be removed. When she shared that news with me, I asked her if I could let the "troops" know so they could be praying. She said in her humble manner, "Yes. That would be all right. Thank you."

The troops I'm referring to were the countless number of women who attended one of the year-round sessions of the Woodmont Ladies Bible Study from 2000-2009. There were a bunch of us who have gathered over the years at the studies, whether we met in the clubhouse, the ladies' locker room, private homes, or Cherokee Hall. Nora stopped by as often as she could and often was cleaning where we were meeting. She rarely could stay the whole time because she was just on a short break.

     Nora seated 2nd row, 4th from left. Woodmont Ladies Bible Study 2003

Even Nora's fellow employees knew when our study was gathering because they would ask her, "Nora, I know your study is today, will you ask the ladies to pray for me?" Honestly. They knew she loved and trusted her God. That's quite a testimony of her gentle but powerful influence. And when she showed up to join us, she'd share with great concern, who was asking for prayer. We were always glad to pray and looked forward to the way God would answer our prayers.. This went on for the nine years I was involved.

                          Nora seated second from left-- Woodmont Ladies Bible Study 2004

And that's how we started calling Nora the Missionary of Woodmont. She knew the names of so many members and watched our children grow. She scattered God's love all over the neighborhood.

            Nora seated front row far right. Woodmont Ladies Bible Study

Nora was one of my best friends. It was always fun to make her laugh. She loved to laugh. Her consistent, humble spirit was and is so rare in our present culture. When I met her over 10 years ago, it was obvious she walked very closely with God and passionately sought to please Him in everything she did. She loved people unconditionally. That's rare, too.

 
She unknowingly showed me how to be a more Christ-like friend. She was an encouraging cheerleader and a powerful prayer partner over the years. She was a tenderhearted woman who did not seek to impress others, just loved them. She was too humble to worry about what people thought of her.

Nora spent three years in and out of hospitals after the cancer invaded her body again. Finally, at home under Hospice care Nora passed into her heavenly home, February 2019. She is sorely missed most of all by her husband, their grown son and daughter, son-in-law, and little granddaughter. As her daughter Julie said, "Mom was a caretaker and a caregiver." 

That's a nurturer.

"A cheerful heart has a continual feast."  Proverbs 15:15     

💖 Polly