Thankful Thursday - Titus 2 Mentors

Titus 2:3-5 "the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things—that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed."

November is the month when we celebrate Thanksgiving. I've decided to share what I'm thankful for each Thursday in November. I have so many things to be thankful for, but I wanted to start off by saying how thankful I am for the Titus 2 women who have imparted in my life. I'm so thankful that I had the chance to experience what it's like to have an older woman to live out the Titus 2 mandate.

My heart cannot express enough thanks for Mother Bradford who saw something in the neighborhood girl running wild and playing "hide & seek" with the boys. She would invite me to come into her home. I loved going to her home. It was so peaceful and pretty. She had a floral paintings and always, always had something baking or cooking. Her house smelt good too.

She got permission from my parents to start taking me to church with her. I would go every Sunday, even when I didn't want to go because it gave me a chance to escape reality. My home life was in such disarray and most of my childhood our family didn't have a car. Going to church gave me an opportunity to leave the "projects (ghetto)" for a minute.

Mother Bradford would teach me about how my body belonged to God and He didn't want me sharing it with anyone else. Oh, how she would embrace me after I would share with her my hurt of abuse and being used while trying to find love. Not once did she judge me. Instead, she would tell me about the man that God will send to me that will cherish me and love me. She prepared me for that man and I'm forever grateful to her.

I remember one day inquiring about why she dresses the way she does. Not that she dressed bad or anything, just different. Different from most women in the neighborhood. She always looked pretty. Pretty, just like her home decor. Simple and pretty, not a lot of glitz and glamour, but yet fascinating. She taught me about modesty. I didn't embrace modesty then. It took some time, a long time!

How blessed my life has been not only with Mother Bradford, but many women who have imparted into my life. If I could go back in time, I would glean even harder because I took it for granted that I would always have a Titus 2 mentor in my life.

I will always desire to have a Titus 2 woman in my life. I'm entering a new season in life. I'm now a Titus 2 woman.