Three words come to mind when I think about my first Women of Faith Conference experience – encouragement, hope and intimacy.
These are ordinary women who God has brought through some extraordinary things; clinical depression, death of a husband, loss of two sons, acrophobia and much more.
And they stand before us, giving Him glory, encouraging and reminding us that God is with all of us – bringing us through and we’re in this together.
Intimacy was evident in their relationship with God and was given to us through the openness of the speakers, their availability to sign books and talk to women and through shared prayer, for cancer survivors and the husband of one of the women who was in Iraq and for all of the men and women serving in the Armed Forces.
And hope was present everywhere – in the teachings, the music, and each other. I was captivated by Patsy Clairmont. She’s a tiny, dynamic 60-year old lady who exudes love or Jesus. She gave a teaching on the Book of Judges that was mesmerizing. On Friday, I wanted to be Patsy Clairmont. By Saturday afternoon, I just wanted to be me – more fully the woman that God calls me to me. I thought that was healing and grace. God is indeed good!
It’s a gift to be able to attend a Women of Faith Conference. But, God gives us Women (and men) of faith everyday – in our families, at church, work or school. I invite you to spotlight someone who has blessed your life. Send your story to info@SpotlightRichmond.com and we’ll post it as a source of encouragement and hope for each other.
I have been blessed by many women of faith in my life…my mother, my Aunt Anna and my Aunt Katherine (the Schmitt Sisters). My Aunt Katherine just celebrated her 90th birthday. She is remarkable. She lives alone, is in chronic pain and is always positive, thankful and a delight to be with. Evidence of that – my daughter and grandchildren and I went up to visit Aunt Katherine to celebrate her birthday. On Sunday afternoon, we were off to a pumpkin patch with animals and hay rides. Ella, who is 5 ½ chose to stay home with Aunt Katherine. And when we arrived home after about an hour and a half they were still at the table creating pictures and stories by taking turns adding to the same picture and talking.
At this point in her life, my aunt has experienced a great deal of loss. She has buried a husband, a son (at age 35), parents, 8 brothers and sisters, 2 nephews at a young age, friends. When I asked her how she dealt with all of that loss, she quickly responded, “You don’t think about that. You think about all that you have.” And then she quickly went on to talk about how God was blessing her life – especially through her grandson Shaun.
What Richmond women are saying about their Women of Faith Conference experience!
