Everywhere I go I meet young women who long for spiritual
mothers. Some express a sense of loneliness, and yet they do not even
realize that the disconnection they feel is because they do not have
nurturing relationships with older women. Our postmodern age is
characterized by isolation. The feminist movement made many
promises, but the push for independence and autonomy has left
women confused and alone. This is our opportunity. The time is ripe.
Women are seeking answers. It is time for Christian women to step
into this vacuum and show and tell the truth about womanhood.
But where are the older women?
In recent years I have observed a troubling phenomenon. Many
women of my generation have relinquished this high calling of nur-
turing younger women. My generation has abandoned this calling for
many reasons. Some simply do not know this biblical mandate. The
church has not sounded this call for many decades. Some think they
have nothing to offer. Some are intimidated by the intelligence and
giftedness of younger women. Some have decided this is the season
to indulge themselves. Some want to share their life experiences, but
they feel isolated from the younger women and don’t know how to
bridge that gap.
I plead with the church to call and equip women for this ministry.
God is gifting His church with incredible young women. They are a
sacred trust. We must be good stewards of this gift. Many are first-gen-
eration Christians. Many are separated from their extended families
because of the mobility of our society. We must exemplify the faith to
them, and we must teach them how to show and tell the truths of bib-
lical womanhood to the next generation. The implications of whether
we accept or abandon this calling will reverberate for generations to
come.
As we examine Paul’s mandate to Timothy, your mind may be
buzzing with questions: Am I an older woman or a younger woman?
What do spiritual mothering relationships look like? How do I find
them? Why should I make this kind of investment in the life of a
younger woman?
We’ll address those questions, but first we must step back and see
182 BUILDINGSTRONGFAMILIES