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
Posts
