NO FAILURE TO THRIVE

They call it “failure to thrive” when I young baby dies for lack of attention and no other noticeable reason. This is not about abuse or neglecting the child in a physical way. This is about a phenomenon that occurs when a baby does not get enough human touch. It would seem that God intended for human life to be interconnected from the very beginning – first with our parents and family.

The need for connection with other Christians is no less important to our ability to thrive spiritually. Women might have a leg up on this over men – not that we need it more, but that we recognize it more easily. I believe this is because women also recognize the need for each other on a human level as well.

There is an e-mail that has been going around – it has been forwarded to me maybe a dozen times – that is in the format of advice to a new wife from her mother. That advice goes along the lines of not neglecting her connections to other women – girlfriends – even though ones husband and children may take top priority.

Women need each other for interaction (yes, just to talk), emotional support, encouragement, advice and often physical support. Fortunately for us, we recognize it.
In his book titled “Blind Spots,” Bill McCartney, creator of Promise Keepers, says that for real connection among Christians we need to move from simply acquaintance to real, spiritual intimacy in order for any lasting change to occur.

Reading about this reminded me that the women’s conference I just attended in Birmingham, Alabama, was a great witness of true, spiritual intimacy within a group of women gathered from various church congregations and fellowships. The messages were great. The meals were fabulous. We had great fellowship and interactive time. However, none of those things requires deep, spiritual connectivity, although they help to foster an atmosphere where it can occur.

What does require deep spiritual connectivity, and what I witnessed over and over again, is the ability to bare your soul – your intimate fears, hopes, dreams, etc. – and ask for prayer. More than once, I saw a small group in quite discussion that then bowed their heads for prayer over whatever they were discussing. It takes trust to bare your soul. It takes love and concern to take the needs of others together to God in prayer.

Coupled together, that boils down spiritual intimacy. Where that exists, there can be no failure to thrive as a son of God, no matter what the world or Satan or our fellow man throw at us emotionally, physically, financially or spiritually.

Women just seem to be more open to the vulnerability required to move into spiritual intimacy with our sisters in Christ. I am thankful for the examples I saw at the conference and for my own spiritual sisters who support me at home. I hope each of you have found spiritual intimacy with a group of Christian sisters. Surround yourself with these and you can’t help but thrive.

With Love,
Nancy

WELCOME TO THE 20TH CENTURY, NANCY!

Children love to see images of themselves and they love to see their names in print. They are fascinated with this concrete proof of their existence. It is a simple form of validation.

Well, some of us don’t out-grow that. I know I haven’t. I’m as excited as can be to have my own dedicated segment of the DCM Web site and to come into the 20th Century with my own blog! Yes, I know we are in the 21st Century and I will get there eventually – maybe a MySpace account or a posting on YouTube or Flicker.

With so much opportunity to reach out and touch strangers, you know what brings me the most child-like enjoyment? Interacting with real people, in real places, where I can see real smiles and get real hugs. Creating a fake (avatar) persona in Second Life holds no allure for me. There is enough I’ve yet to do in first life – or real life – or whatever the opposite of Second Life would be called.

So, I’m very happy to be writing my first blog, from my car – don’t worry, I’m not driving – on my way to Fultondale, Alabama to speak at the women’s conference there. The conference is sponsored by United Christian Ministries (www.4ucm.org), The Sabbatarian Church of God, and Our Only Hope Web Ministry in July each year. This is my second year at the conference. This group is so friendly and welcoming that they all became my instant best girlfriends last year and I am thrilled to be getting together with them again. In many cases, this is my once-a-year opportunity to see these wonderful ladies and hug their necks. We can stay connected in cyberspace, but, for me, it just isn’t the same. In person, we will laugh, cry, pray, eat, laugh some more, share stories and chocolate, laugh some more and eat again. Nothing going on in cyberspace could be as much fun.

I’ll be giving a message there that I have titled “It Ain’t Heavy, It’s Important OR The Weightier Matters of the Law.” It will be videotaped and posted onto my section of the DCM Web site within a week or so. In this way, I get to connect in person with my girlfriends AND I get to have my name, my face and my voice posted in cyberspace for all the world to see. It is my prayer the message will not just be my own, but will be inspired by God.

So, I get the best of both worlds – I get in-person, human interaction and my name in print in cyberspace. The 21st Century is so much fun!

With Love,
Nancy