Wal-Mart Parking Lot

Girlfriends it is just HOT! Here we are in the first week of July and all I want to do is sit in the house in the air conditioning. I may be from the south but I do not like to sweat. While trying to stay cool, my little blonde brain was bumping into thoughts running through my head.

One thought that jumped and screamed for attention is the fact that often we ministers wives try to isolate ourselves from people. We get tired of running to committee meetings or meeting the needs of other people. I have one friend who would to drive to the Wal-Mart parking lot and just sit in the car so she could be alone. Now, I call that desperation. Sure we all need our private time to breathe and collect our thoughts, but sometimes we can overdo isolation.

One of my dear fellow staff wives shared her heart with me a few weeks ago on this very subject. She had traveled back home to visit with her parents. While there she met a couple of ministers wives. She told me that her heart just broke for these ladies. She could just see the weariness in their eyes and wanted to wrap her arms around them. This dear sister went on to say that all ministers wives need to know that we all experience times of joy and difficulty in the ministry and that we need each other to stay strong.

Girls, she is so right. Sometimes in ministry it feels so right to build up walls that no one can penetrate. God did not design us to be alone. He gave us a heart that must love others as well as be loved. Isolation hurts us in the long run. If you look at the life of Jesus, you will discover that he had close friends. Sure one of them betrayed him but our Lord still allowed friends to stay close to him. Jesus knew that the road he was traveling was a difficult road and that he needed trusted friends to walk the path with him.

Ladies, if you see me sitting alone in my car in the Wal-Mart parking lot, please tap on the window and check on me. It may be only place that I could find that was quiet in order to have my quiet time; however, I may be experiencing a difficulty. I personally need friends who care about me. Trust me, if I see you there, I’ll be checking on you.