My heart's desire.....

Here I go on the journey of blogging. It is my desire to encourage those who read my blog to live for the Lord, love their husbands, and raise their children to know Christ and live a life of purity.

In my life, God has placed numerous extraordinary people who have encouraged me and helped to mold me into the person I am today. I am eternally grateful for each and every one of them. It is my desire to follow in their footsteps.

Titus 2:3-5 says, "The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." Titus 2 sums it up for me. I want to be that Titus 2 woman. Thankfully, God placed a Titus 2 woman in my life. I pray every day that I can do for others what the precious lady you are about to read about did for me.

Mrs. Ada Shokes, who was also known as “Nana Ada” to my sweet children, entered my life at the impressionable age of eighteen. At the time, I had just returned home from the bankrupt Bible college which I attended my freshman year. It felt like the door to all of my dreams was closed. Fortunately, and oh so gratefully, God placed sweet Ada in my path at the exact needed moment.

I needed a job. She gave me a job.

I needed a friend. She was that friend.

Working with Ada for two years, she walked along side of me as I dated one wrong guy, another wrong guy, and still another until I finally met one which she approved. Many days, I would sit by her desk and rock away in her rocking chair as she imparted so many words of wisdom into my heart. In the following years, she gave me a wedding shower. Not long after, she crocheted a pink baby blanket for me. Three years later, she crocheted a second pink baby blanket for me. In between crocheting baby blankets I grieved the death of my Daddy and she grieved the death of her loving husband just 2 weeks later.

Retired now, we moved our long talks to her house. As I sat in her rocking chair, we talked about babies, marriage, finances and how much we missed Daddy and Poppy. She dreamed of crocheting a blue baby blanket. I bought her yarn to crochet a purple blanket for my bedroom. Seriously, why should the babies get all of those handmade blankets? She finished the blanket as I continued to rock in her rocking chair not wanting to have another baby that my Daddy would never meet here on earth. God had another plan for me. Finally, she was thrilled when she was asked to crochet a blue baby blanket. I shocked her nine months later when I told her to start another pink baby blanket.

That was pretty much our relationship. She talked, I listened.  No, I soaked up every word of advice she gave me. My children adored her. She watched my oldest grow up, but didn’t see her graduate. On the second day of my oldest daughter’s senior year, she joyfully went to Heaven to see Ken, her precious husband whom she missed dearly. He wasn’t just a husband. He was her best friend as she was his.

My heart was broken. How would I go a day without her? I didn't believe I could do it, but God led me through that sad time. She sacrificed so much time and poured her heart into my life. Where would I be? Who would I be without her influence in my life? I know who I want to be. I want to be like her - the Titus 2 woman who loves and encourages other young women to live for the Lord, love their husbands, and raise their children to know Christ and live a life of purity.