“˜You Made Me Feel Like I Matter”

 

By Nancy Karpenske

Margie came because a friend insisted she give us a try. She told me, “I always felt a total failure as a wife and a mother. When I came to the group, I found a whole room of women like me. I realized the very first night that there”s nothing wrong with me.”

Lisa said, “I never knew what a normal marriage was supposed to look like until a small group from church started coming over to do repairs at my house. Watching the way the husbands and wives interacted with each other and with my kids opened my eyes to what it means to have a healthy marriage with God in the middle.”

Rhoda has come to our group for several years. She attends another church, but was invited here by a woman she met while her kids were playing at a park.

“You accept me even though I”ve never come to one of your church services. I keep coming because you give me confidence and tools to deal with the harassment we endure from my ex-husband. The Boundaries course really made a difference for me.”

Maureen is a schoolteacher. “A single mom spends her energy keeping all the plates of her life spinning. There is never a break. It”s exhausting. I can”t believe how generous the church has been to me. I”ve never felt worthy before in my life. I feel accepted and cared for. You”ve sent me to the women”s retreat. You”ve paid some of my bills and provided financial training. You have made me feel like I matter to you and to God. You are giving me confidence and helping me be a better mom.”

 

 

Nancy Karpenske, a contributing editor with CHRISTIAN STANDARD, is director of women”s ministry at LifeBridge Christian Church, Longmont, Colorado.