Wrinkles and Grace came about due to my mother and I having a very unique relationship. My mom was a mother to me as I grew up and at that time I probably wouldn't have called her a friend. We were mother and daughter, there were boundaries and rules and expectations. She was my culinary teacher and my tutor. My mom was my etiquette coach, my stylist and my pastor. She was not my gossip partner nor did she let temptation sneak in to far. I didn't even know most of the songs my friends knew on the radio because ours didn't turn from the local Christian station very often, if ever. Now, I can honestly say I am the same way with my kids and that doesn't just go with radio station. I have boundaries, rules and expectations with my own children. My daughters would not necessarily say that I am their friend. They do however call me mommy and tell me how much I am loved. The unique thing about my mother and I, is we never had that teenage falling out or the "my mother is so annoying stage." Today, now that I am older and trying to be a godly wife and mother, I would call her one of my very best friends. She is a confidant, my sounding board and a big chunk of my wise council.
I don't know how she did it. She balanced it all so gracefully. We didn't even notice when things shifted from her just being my mother to being my mother and friend, it was just a natural transition for us. I have asked her on more than one occasion how she balanced open communication with a healthy boundary. We have often had discussions on how lucky we are to have the relationship we do, but we also feel a little broken for those who live a different story.
I have learned so much from my Mom, and not just because she raised me. But, from watching her with other women. I can remember so vividly peaking around the corner of a room, looking into another, just so that I could sneak a peak at her and a friend sipping coffee, reading scripture, crying, laughing or praying. As an adult myself, that is one of my favorite things to do. I love to open my door to others and allow ourselves to be honest, gentle and simply just there. Whether being "there" is in a place of joy or sorrow.
After having many of my own coffee times with friends, I noticed something kind of funny. I was confiding in women who were going through the same things that I was. That is great for empathy or sympathy. But, maybe not for advice seeing as how they haven't found success, failure or even made it out of the same season you are in. I am not saying to stop giving helpful advice to friends or ideas to try, as long as it lines up with the Word of God that's great and a big part of friendship. However, when was the last time you sat down with someone who has already been there? That is where Wrinkles and Grace comes in.
We, my mom and I, desire to develop a social company that embraces life's wrinkles, the ups and the downs of life and spreads grace through those times. We would like to help facilitate the opportunity to gain wise council and elders for young women to look up to. Children are not the only one who need a mentor, we all do. Our hope is to create gatherings through our craft nights that will lead to healthy relationships of multi-generational women.
Laced throughout the Bible God stresses the importance of elders, wise council and warns us to be of sound doctrine. We love Gods Word and believe that is completely true, relevant and necessary to live a full life. Titus 2:3 tells us,"Tell the older women to behave as those who love the Lord should. They must not gossip about others or be slaves of wine. They must teach what is proper, so the younger women will be loving wives and mothers. Each of the younger women must be sensible and kind. as well as a good homemaker, who puts her own husband first. Then no one can say insulting things about Gods message."
There are not the same opportunities now that women had in the "olden days" to learn form those whom have been there before us. The women who lived our season, whether successfully or with failure, they have advice for us due to what they lived and experienced. We, as younger women should yearn to learn those lessons before facing failure or consequence. We need to desire relationships with women who are generations ahead of us. This is not only due to a important biblical principle but, because we can be better wives and mothers though them.
God has clearly placed this vision on our hearts. My mom and I have been working hard to make the vision a reality, however God is much bigger than us and His vision is more than we can do ourselves. We would love for you all to pray for us as we lean on God and dive head first into this ministry. He is already blessed us so much and we have felt the enemies anger toward us. That however, only reassures us we are headed the right direction to bring God glory. With the blessing and encouragement we have been experiencing, we are also experiencing some growing pains. After just a few months of getting Wrinkles and Grace off the ground it is time to expand and add more women to our team. We are looking for facilities to collaborate with and host craft nights. We would also love to have some help with the editing and social media, as well as an administrative personality. Please join with us in prayer over those people and if you are local to our area and being part of the Wrinkles and Grace team is something you would enjoy, reach out to us.
Proverbs 11:14 "Where there is not counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety."
With Love,
Wrinkles and Grace
No comments:
Post a Comment