“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Hebrews 10:24 (NIV)

Growing up in a home swimming with female hormones, I was blessed to have not one “mother,” but four. I was the youngest of five daughters, and there was always a feminine perspective around … ready and willing to point me in the right direction. Sometimes they used their words, but more often, their guidance was subtle: Their actions spoke.

These women taught me how to keep going when life isn’t what you expect. They modeled staying true to yourself, your family and God even when “true” was not given to you. They showed me how to love even when love costs dearly.

The women of my family, both the one I was born into and the one I married into, have all, in one way or another, shaped me into the woman I am becoming.

God has intersected my life with still more women through friendship, who have spurred me on when I struggled to keep moving forward. These women, some whose names I can’t remember, were so crazy in love with Jesus, they drew me to fall in love with Him, too.

They practiced the wisdom found in Hebrews 10:24, “… spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”

These women in my past, who impacted my whole life, have come in all ages, all shapes and all sizes … all women who taught me to see with my heart.

Today, the women teaching me to see with my heart include my daughters. At one point I was the one doing all the teaching. But today, I am daily challenged by them. Seeing the world in a way I haven’t before, I learn from their love for people and their desire for everyone to know their true value. While it was once a one-way teaching, now we spur each other on.

This growing, this learning to see with my heart and not with my natural eyes, has not always been easy. The Lord in His kindness and graciousness has sent those who’ve been bold enough to confront me, showing me the error of my ways. And I know, as I continue to desire to grow, He’ll continue to send more who will challenge me.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and while it honors those who brought us into this world, it is also a day to celebrate women. To say “thank you” to those in our lives who have helped us grow, challenged us and taught us to see with more than our natural eyes.

Lord, thank You so much for the many women You have brought into my life who’ve helped me become the woman I am today. Help me not just receive, but also to be one who spurs on others to good works as well. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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TRUTH FOR TODAY:

Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (NIV)

Hebrews 3:13, “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.” (NIV)

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Is there someone in your life who inspires you to love God and love people? This Mother’s Day, we're honoring the women — our mothers, our sisters, our mentors and friends — who have loved us for who we are, and taught us to see with our hearts. Let her know how much she means to you with these special gifts.

CONNECT:

Join Lynn Cowell today on her blog, where she’s got a special Mother’s Day giveaway!

REFLECT AND RESPOND:

Who is a woman in your life that has encouraged you to grow into the best version of you?

Think of a girl or young woman that you can, in turn, spend time with and help become the best person God created them to be. Make a point to contact them today, and set a time when you can spend some time together.

© 2017 by Lynn Cowell. All rights reserved.