Spiritual Mothering: Chapter 7

Let's make this week's discussion a simple one. Share one or two things that you underlined and explain why.

Was it something you wholeheartedly agree with? Something that challenges you to grow? Something you want to know more about or study more in depth?

If we were sitting around in a circle at a coffee shop (picture your favorite one and maybe even tell us which one it is so we can picture it too!), how would you finish this sentence: "I underlined the quote that says ________________ because ________________."

Comments

[Marla Taviano]

I so wanted to be a part of this discussion, but I haven't been. Just wanted you to know though that I'm almost done reading the book and I used it this weekend when my mom, sister and I spoke on Women Mentoring Women. It was so helpful, and lots of women told me they'd be getting the book. Thanks for the inspiration!

[Lisa notes...]

I don’t do coffee shops, so I’ll have to picture us elsewhere. ;-) Maybe sitting on the floor in my living room, next to the blazing fire, drinking hot chocolate.

And being challenged by this, p 100:

“Humility is not a passive, syrupy sweetness. Humility is rugged obedience. …They gratefully accepted their assignments as opportunities to glorify God.”

I’ve never thought of humility as “rugged obedience” but I know humility is hard. And I know it is not passive. So I hope I’ll remember that the next time I feel like I need to defend myself about being “right” about something or think “that’s not MY job” or whatever. Be ruggedly obedient, and accept the challenge to glorify God in every situation through humility.

This also profoundly affected me:

“It is not enough for me to want to live for God’s glory and for you to want to live for God’s glory. I must want to help you live for God’s glory.”

I love that. It's still soaking. . .

I’ve posted a chapter summary here:

http://lisanotes.blogspot.com/2009/11/mutual-purpose-ch-7-spiritual-mothering.html

I think this has been my favorite chapter yet!

[Tammy]

I run the coffee shop at our church, so that is where I picture us sitting...drinking coffee and a hot chocolate for you Lisa!

What I loved best in this chapter is the paragraph on page 98 that says,

"When a person is saved by God's grace and begins to understand the magnitude of His sovereignty, the 'my' world view is replaced by a Biblical world view. Growth in the grace and knowledge of God pushes the circle out to encompass His sovereign plan for His world. We see ourselves, our circumstances, and our relationships as part of His divine plan. So our approach changes from 'Come into my world and make me happy,' to 'Father, show me how to go into Your world and glorify You.' The effect on a relationship is a switch from wanting you to serve me to a desire to serve God through the relationship."

I love that. Another reminder that it is NOT about me, but ALL about Him, and that every part of my life is an opportunity to glorify God!

[Jamie]

Ladies, I would love to invite you all over for some coffee and hot chocolate and maybe even some chai! I am always challenged by your words and insights and feel I could LEARN so much by sitting around chatting with you. I feel sometimes like a spiritual baby even though I've been a Christian my whole life. But I guess it's a good thing that I don't have it all figured out or I think I'd be lacking in my need for Jesus! I do need Him and that's the best place I can be in!

Here are my thoughts:
http://jamespurejoy.blogspot.com/2009/11/spiritual-mothering-chapter-7.html

[Pam]

I'm sorry I just can't participate - something's got to give, and right now, it's got to be computer-time. Love the book, and will keep reading it on my own...

[Ashley]

I would love to sit around at a coffee shop with you all. I live in Portland, so there’s a coffee shop on nearly every corner. I’d pick the one for the appointed day based on my mood….there’s one for every occasion.

I have to tell you all, as somewhat of a side note, that I feel so grateful and giddy! I have “officially” begun spiritually mentoring a lovely younger woman at church. I began actively encouraging her through notes, praying for her, calling her on the phone with a Scripture, etc., as Susan talked about doing earlier in the book. This woman just continued to be on my heart. I prayed that I would have a younger woman to mentor (I'll call her "B"), and at the same time, she was praying for a spiritual mentor. Anyway, this last week at my favorite tea shop, B asked me if I would spiritually mentor her! She and I are both so excited. I pray this is an encouragement to you…God is so faithful, and He is at work. I am continuing to pray that God would lead me to the woman He would desire to be my spiritual mentor.

I, too, loved this chapter. But right now, the passage that is still rolling around in my mind is this: “Resentment is a product of a self-centered approach: Unless you are doing and being what I want you to do and be I am offended. Living for God’s glory frees us to value and appreciate rather than resent one another…In fact, there can be no real unity without diversity.” (p. 103) Interestingly, this week, before I read this or before I went to meet with B, I felt God encouraging me to talk to her about resentment. (I feel there is so much for me to learn here, too...where it applies to my relationships with other women and my husband.) This week, I talked with her about praying for an attitude of forgiveness for her husband, confessing to her husband that bitterness/resentment is beginning to take root (rather than blaming him for the wrong she perceives) and then recounting in her mind or on paper what she appreciates about him, so that she begins to see him with eyes of appreciation and the way God sees him. The Lord has lead me through this process in the past, and I must always remember what Susan said on p. 104: “It takes faith to tell a woman [myself or another] to lay aside self and become a servant.” God, please help me to have this faith and to put this into practice continually.

[Joanne (The Simple Wife)]

Oops! I realize I never posted my answer!

Have to say I underlined so much in this chapter that it might be easier to cover what I DIDN'T underline. :)

So much of what I underlined has to do with the idea of worldview. I found myself reading this chapter, saying, YES, YES to myself, and yet seeing my own selfishness and pride in opposition to what I know is true and what I really do want.

"Mary was aware that something much bigger than her personal agenda was going on here...Elizabeth, too, was aware that she was part of God's plan...

"These women understood that they were part of God's plan...They could accept and adjust to the changes that came into their lives because they were centered on God and not on self...

"They did not pridefully attach degrees of importance to their tasks, They were not competing. They gratefully accepted their assignments as opportunities to glorify God."

This reminds me of the statement about Mary in a previous chapter--she was more concerned with God's glory than her own comfort.

I see such peace and calm and security and grounded-ness in these women and find myself thinking, YES! I want that!

How I pray God will turn my focus and attention to him, make me aware of the bigger picture, show me and equip me and encourage me to seek him in all I do, with all my heart.

I want to bring him honor and glory more than I want to please myself. And yet it is a daily struggle.

[Aurora @ Under Transformation]

Okay, I'm still running late here, but just know that I would love to have coffee with all of you!! Here are my answers to Chapter 7's questions. Joanne, loved the way you set this up. It was fun to pick out a few lines to comment on. Tammy and Lisa, I picked the same quotes you did -- both were so challenging! My answers are here --http://wp.me/pqFt7-2i. Hope all is well with everyone!

Blessings,
Aurora