Saturday, October 18, 2008

Carolyn Mahaney's call to older women

If you qualify for the older woman, may I impress upon you the significance of your responsibility. Young women are in dire need of your training and instruction. Now, to function in this role doesn’t mean you need the gift of teaching, or to be a theological expert, it simply requires your availability. It primarily means being accessible to young women.

See, the years have brought you much knowledge and insight. You’ve discovered secrets of godly wisdom in relation to husbands, children and home that could save younger women a whole lot of trouble. And what is so helpful to these younger women is simply to have an older woman on hand to answer the questions and to help them through the challenges they face. …

Older women, may I encourage you, to mentor young women often simply means being available, providing a listening ear, offering wise counsel, praying for her, providing practical help, be it through babysitting, or making a meal for her, or helping her clean. Most importantly, it’s pointing her to the cross. But it’s in these simple, ordinary acts that most often provide the most significant help.

So please do not underestimate their impact, and do not downplay the significant role you have in the lives of young women.


from Carolyn Mahaney's talk Mentoring: Passing on the Language of Biblical Womanhood

image is Consuelo Gamboa's Old Friendships

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