So, I am a part of this bible study at my church that takes place on Tuesday mornings. We’re doing the Beth Moore Esther study (my first Beth Moore!). There are a ton of women in it and most weeks it’s the thing I look forward to most.
So there’s me, and a girl named Tate.. and then every other woman is married with children, some with grandchildren, some with grandchildren older than me. After the first week, Tate said to me, “Thanks for coming and bringing the average age down.” At first I was hesitant, I thought to myself that I wasn’t sure I wanted to do a Beth Moore study (too much dedication), I wanted something more with women my own age, or at least closer (too many stories that go over my head). Basically I came up with a lot of excuses but each time I thought one was legit God would sort of lean over my shoulder and say, “but you need this.” So I kept going, because who can argue with their Creator over what they need? I sure can’t.
So I go every week and sometimes sit through the craziest conversations, like two weeks ago when we started talking about beauty treatments and the room erupted with things like, “use olive oil instead of lotion” and all sorts of home remedies that I’m gonna be honest, sounded gross. Or last week when we got on a 20 minute tangent on disciplining your children…meaning beating them. Seriously. But also, I love it.
I love it because every Tuesday morning from 9-11 I get to open up the Bible with about 20 other women who love God and have lived life much longer than me. I get to learn from some of the finest women in our congregations but also, it’s a place where they honor my opinions, even ask for it sometimes. And not even in that condescending way that some older generations ask for our generation’s opinion, like, “Let’s hear from the twenty-somethings now.” More like, “Alicia, what do you think?”
I also love it because I am now in relationship with all these amazing women that I never would have even met until now. It’s so fun to walk into the fellowship hall and have all these women say hi and ask how my week was. I love it. It’s so fun.
Which also in a way makes me sad. Not for myself, but for the tons of young women my age that don’t take advantage of that. You see so often I feel like the 20somethings are constantly looking for a community of our own. Almost like we are looking for a church completely made up of people our age and we alienate ourselves from the greater christian population because we think they don’t get us or the way we want to live. I’ve totally found myself in this thought process, I want to find a group to study the Word with that are my age. I shy away from college aged ministry because well, I’m not in college and mostly it’s high schoolers who go to those things anyway. I also shy away from things that say “young adults” because it’s mostly really young married couples. or “singles” ministry because it’s like a dating game on crack.
I’ve been that person that makes an excuse for not having a community that I “fit” into, the thing is, in my lack of that sort of community I’ve found a different community. Not a perfect one mind you (besides I have a feeling no community can be perfect but that’s another post) but one that fulfills my needs and make me feel included and loved. One that prays for each other and challenges each other to be better at life. And only one other person is “my age.”
My fear is that we isolate ourselves from the greater population of our congregations. Don’t get me wrong, there are times that we need to be all about generational divisions. Youth ministry, children’s ministry… etc. But there’s also a time for crossing those boundaries and learning from each other. To be humble enough to know that you could learn a lesson from a 10 year old just like you can from an 80 year old.
adventures in living an abundant life