Small Group Lesson 3:

Each week in small group we are building and growing from the previous discussion. If we’re being technical in church terms, this is actually what you would consider discipleship instead of merely small group. Personally, I don’t really like leading small groups, I prefer discipling  a few girls. It’s much more effective.

We started the year our talking about goals, we moved on to talking about how people view us and what impact or impression we leave on people now, and this week we described the women we want to grow/mature into. Our conversation is slowly evolving…and I’m loving it.

As our dreams turn into our own realities over the coming months and years, if we’re not intentional about the kind of woman we want to be now then life will define who we become for us- will be tired and grumpy, rude and unaware of the people around us, insecure and unkind, or maybe even worse just complacent that our perfect looking world is enough and if we keep getting prettier and our family grows more adorable and our houses bigger then we’ll be happy??? We all know that isn’t actually what makes us happy, but our world strategically tells us it is. We have to decide who we will be in the midst of the crazy. I wrote a bit more this in my previous post What kind of woman shall I be?.   Last week’s group ended with a homework assignment to write down who and what this woman looks like to us.

Last night we gathered and swapped traits and characteristics about the women we want to be. I loved that NONE of the traits were about money or status. Mostly they summed up to be women are do not live reactive to our circumstances but who are so firmly rooted in our walk with the Lord we’re not shaken and we walk in grace and favor.

I believe that as we clearly define this woman then as we face the life moments to come we can choose to live, think, and walk that way ….or we can settle. We added our ideas/list together and came up with the list below. Our description is not all inclusive, but if we were to pick high points…this is who we’ll be as we transition and acquire many more roles over the next few decades!

• She has a driving passion and lives with purpose
• She is aware of the world around her. She is not absorbed in a bubble, but is aware of injustice and those in her day to day life. She treats everyone with kindness regardless of their status or relation to her.
• She knows her life priorities and fights to keep the main thing the main thing.
• She has a solid support system and invest in her relationships. She protects her friendships and isn’t afraid of confrontation.
• She is not only aware, but ok with her imperfections. The areas in her life where she is “lacking” she knows the Lord can still use. Her imperfection isn’t a roadblock to her future, it’s an opportunity for the Lord to move through her weakness and perfect it.
• She loves the Lord with all her heart and life. Her walk with the Lord is not compartmentalized. It’s a seamless part of her whole life. It shows in her actions, speech and decisions.
• She trust the Lord and knows his plan for her is good. She knows he does not send tragedy or death into her life, but she walks in confidence he will guide her through all life moments, good and bad.
• She knows there is an enemy who wants to destroy her life, family and relationships. But she knows her God is bigger, so she walks without fear.
  
• She knows above all the Lord loves her. He values her. And there is nothing she can do to ever change that. She is not loved because of what she does, but who she is- His daughter. Her passion and life isn’t a reflection of her love for the Lord, but a response to her awareness of the Lord’s love for her!