My mom’s mom is the single biggest female influence in my life. She was the best grandmother I could have asked for. She was President of the Insurance Women of Tulsa. She cooked like nobody else. She made crafts with me. She taught me to paint and to make something with my hands. We did plaster together. We laughed. We played games. We watched tv and we drank coffee. Rare is the day I don’t think about her and miss her.
The other female I want to mention is the Rev. Kim Clements Hames. Frankly, I would not be a minister of any sort of it hadn’t been for Kim. When I was in the big wreck in 1976 and my cousin was killed, Kim was there at the ER. She was the very presence of God for me. I will never forget her laying her head on my chest and sobbing as I cried over my cousin. She was just 22 and a youth sponsor at the time. It must have been gut-wrenching for her, but she handled it with dignity. I will honor her gift to me as long as I breathe.
There are a lot of people who say that God doesn’t call women to ministry; that the Bible shows a disdain for women leading in the church; that women cannot lead or teach or preach when a man is present. I call bullshit. I have some amazing colleagues in ministry and a whole lot of them are women. And they’re good. And they’re faithful. And they’re called by God. They are. You cannot convince me otherwise.
I’m grateful for International Women’s Day and for the women who have helped and mentored me.
Peace and Love,
Jerry
No comments:
Post a Comment