The Wisdom of An Older Woman
October 1, 2008
by Genel Webb
In scripture, in the book of Titus, it tells us (paraphrased) that the older women should teach the younger women. There is always something that we can learn from older women, especially those that are Believers. When I was 18 and not a Believer, I met a woman, Naomi, who sowed into my life by mentoring me and then discipling me for years and years. We became close friends for the last years of her life. I was able to sow back into her life, in a different way as her health declined. She passed away last year, but I can still hear her now, “get your bible and go to scripture so and so…read it aloud.” And then she would expound on it. What was unique about her was that she would teach me in modern day parables. She taught me so many things. Initially, I did not always appreciate her input, but respected her enough to listen. Can I tell you that I often thought and sometimes tried to explain to her that things were different these days? And things were different, but coming from a woman who was spirit filled, they were the same.
Now I consider myself a bit of an older woman in the lives of some of my friends and acquaintances. What my older friend (and my grandmother) drilled into me for so many years, in word and in deed was to “always help someone else. If you can’t help them, don’t hurt them.” And praise God, it seems to come naturally for me to do that. So as the Lord leads, I do. I often think about the things that Naomi shared with me when I was in my 20s and 30s. Sometimes, it was her experiences as a child, her experience of coming to the Lord, her experiences in the Lord or just life’s experiences in general. There was always a life lesson in what she shared.
Many women can look back over their lives and consider the things that they could share with a woman ten years their junior. What do you wish that someone would have told you when you were ten years younger? Make a list and then ask the Lord to help you be sensitive as to who and when you should share with. And welcome believing, older and wiser women into your life. There is a wisdom that only they can provide.
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Genel… I wish more women would understand the importance of the Titus 2 principle! This was so powerful!