Let's hear it for the girls!

   

   I call my mom the “baby bundler” because she loves blankets. If you go to her house she is always wrapped in a fuzzy blanket or offering one to her guests. When my children were little she always made sure they were warm and cozy. Through her blankets, we feel her love.

   My mother in law is a wonderful cook. She shares her table with her family and friends with delight and takes special care to make sure we feel comfortable and special. I am not sure how many table cloths and napkin sets she has, but I have always loved having a meal around her table.

   I have a dear friend named Carol who is a gifted story teller. She welcomes me with a stirring account of a meeting she had on the street with a stranger who had lost their way. She touches my heart with the care she takes with people to let them know they not only matter in this world but to the One who created them, the big man upstairs, GOD. At the end of our time together I feel as if I can see God more clearly and feel his love more deeply.

    Five years ago I started working alongside a fellow creative. I didn’t know her well, but from the very beginning, I could tell she cared. We worked together on worship music and schedules. As the months turned into years she lent her caring ear to the concerns of my heart. Not only was Nichole a partner in the ministry, but a dear friend. She has never boasted of a green thumb, but she still is an expert at working in the soil of wounded hearts and helping hope grow afresh and anew.

   I knew her first for her white blond hair and exuberant hugs, Miss Judy. I didn’t know that a woman could so easily love others. When I started to see her on week days and she still had the same disposition, the same hugs, and the same kindness my heart began to believe. There really are sweet women in the world with no guile. Through the past six years, Miss Judy has blessed me with simple hugs, and tender prayers that have helped me to trust again.

   Little Sarah comes running up to me on Sundays after the second service. The worship team is leaving the stage as the people are leaving the church sanctuary to get lunch or go home, but not Sarah, she rushes in to see me. Her little blond curls bounce across her shoulders as her little cowboy boots scuff over the gray carpet. Sometimes it’s a quick hug, and sometimes it is a squeal, but little Sarah makes my day every time with her greeting.

   Women are needed in our lives. They speak to us through blankets held out to comfort and food cooked with care. They inspire us with stories of compassion and lending a listening ear. With hugs from grown-ups and hugs from little ones they send the message that we matter, they care, and without them, life would not be the same. In big and small ways they have impacted my life for the good. I am thankful for the women in my life that fill my heart with joy.