Women’s Group is more than a chat and chews

Wow…. a new year, and already it seems that so much of 2008 has flown by. That is what happens when you get older.

Last year at this time, a very dear friend asked if I wanted to join our church’s women’s Bible study. I am a believer. I have been for many years, and I just never felt the pull of a Bible study. As a matter of fact, many years ago I went to one for 3 weeks and found an excuse to quit. It was just too “bibley”.

Things and events in my life were pulling me to join this one, or at least give it a try. The first night I went and was shocked and surprised to see the number of women there. I was shocked because I never expected to see some who were attending, and also , the fact that I live in a rural Adirondack Village, and it was a snowy January, made it all the more amazing that a lot of these ladies had driven over 20 miles in snow and ice to get there.

My second surprise was that it was NOT a food fest. There was plenty of ice water to drink and a few candy dishes with leftover Christmas candy in them. (You know that hard candy you buy that looks like Christmas but tastes like ashes).

In a very short while, I learned that these ladies meant business. My pastor’s wife, a new widow, as our beloved pastor had died the previous October, was the leader of the group, and she gave us the title of the book we were studying. It was Twelve Extraordinary Women of the Bible, by John MacArthur.

All I can say is that this study changed my life. Shortly after the group started meeting every Wednesday, a natural attrition began….it always does. We went from a starting number of 18, to a regular group of 10-12….depending on the weather and the daily circumstances we all faced. I learned a lot from the book/Bible Study, but I learned so much more from these women I now love and cherish like sisters. Our lives and God’s love transformed us all. We love each other, pray for each other, uphold each other, protect each other, learn from each other and cling to each other. The love of Christ is our glue, and our experiences all bond us together.

We learned on a weekly basis, that all 12 women in the Bible that were part of the study were who we are. Extremely flawed sinners, and desperately in need of the loving touch of the Savior, who doesn’t care a bit about our “mess-ups”…in fact, I think He loves us more because of them, but He wants us to admit we need Him. All He wants is for us to say, I really need you, Lord. I am not able to get through this life with all its traps, snares, and pitfalls without your hand on me.

Yup, that Bible study changed me in so many ways. We finished and went on to the next one, Beth Moore’s Believing God…. Oh my goodness. It was wonderful. The same 12 or so finished and we are avidly waiting to start our new one next week.