The first woman that I can remember looking up to was my mom. From a very young age I wanted to be her. She was so smart on most things. Her organization and planning skills were (and continue to be) off the chart. And while there were definitely times when I was not very appreciative of her, there has never been a time when I could deny that she went above and beyond every day for her family, (usually without our appreciation). I could never hope to be as good of a mother as she is every day.
The second was my older sister Jenny. Jenny and I have had a strange relationship over the years. I had to wear all her hand-me-down clothes (NOT my style!), but filling in her footsteps was just as scary. Jenny always had this attitude that was soooo obedient to my parents which made me feel like the bad rebellious child. When she's mad, she's quiet, while I get explosive. She actually enjoyed memorizing scripture, while I did my bible subject for school kicking and screaming, or cheated and didn't do it at all! She could do public speech tournaments and smile in the spotlight while I go 4 shades of white, shake, talk really fast, and can't think to save my life. She could sing and led worship with my dad at a really young age, while I hid in the back of the choir and lip-sank the notes I couldn't hit. And she could draw. And not just draw, she can draw so that you would swear it was a photo rendering. My drawings look like Picasso next to hers. The few things she couldn't do (and trust me there were few!) I felt the need to rather mercilessly make fun of her about just so I could be sort of even. Secretly though, I have wished I could be more like her.
The third was a girl I knew in high school named Emily. She was always so meek and graceful and beautiful in everything that she did. And I think for the most part it wasn't just a front. She really does have a beautiful Christ-like character underneath. I remember when we played volleyball together and she was the only person on our team all year who got a yellow card. The rest of the team really wanted to pummel the ref in the parking-lot after the game. She was just the last person on our team that would ever have deserved that. But even then she was sweet and accepting of it, even calming the rest of us down. I have always wished I could be more like Emily.
The fourth place probably goes to women from history. I remember reading biographies of Amy Carmichael, Gladys Aylward, Mother Teresa, and Elizabeth Elliot and thinking "Wow! God, can I grow up to be like that?" Especially Amy Carmichael, because I felt like she was a real Christian. She had a temper like me, and did stupid things (like me), and went on adventures (like i wanted to), and God still chose to use her to rescue all these orphans from the devil himself!
The fifth woman I have been inspired by was my lovely roommate Jenna. To this day I don't think she knows how many times she spurred me on by her own seeking after God. Through her I think I began to grasp a lot of the importance of hard-core prayer. And yet, I felt like she was a real Christian in that we could be silly together and discuss stupid things with that underlying understanding that God was at the center of it all.
The sixth woman I have been inspired by is ironically someone that I hated for a great portion of my younger life; my little sister Janalee. I can't tell you how much it pains my heart of older sister pride to say this but she is one of the biggest examples to me of someone who genuinely is committed to the cause of Christ. She has these amazing skills in just talking with people. And encouraging, its like a second language with her. On a regular basis she seeks out ways to go out of her way to say something fun to someone. I think I just forget half the time to be so extroverted.
More recently the seventh woman has been my dearest friend Chantelle. The better I get to know her, the more I am blown away by the things she has overcome in her life. The way that she goes on smiles through the pain. I love growing in Christ with her; she inspires me to some new level of strength.
There are several other people that I can see are already going to be the next people on my list. I intend to keep it growing, as each and every person I come in contact with I think has something to teach me (however inadvertently).
My question to you is this: Who are the people in your life that have spurred you on to love and good works? How have the influenced your journey heavenward? Do they know it?
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