KAREN HODGE|CONTRIBUTOR and ELLE ANDERSON|GUEST

Intergenerational Impact

Treats, teaching, talking, and truths filled my living room this summer. I invited young teen women and their mothers to study Breathe: The Life-giving Oxygen of the Lord’s Prayer together. Our Father knit our hearts together as we studied His word and prayed weekly for one another. We experienced the joy of unpacking the content of the gospel in the context of an intergenerational group. As each woman shared what Christ was teaching them, we beheld a different facet of His truth. Each woman’s perspective enriched the next. Titus 2 Discipleship is not about a prescriptive program but rather older and younger women integrating the gospel into every aspect of their lives as they walk through life together. I was blessed to be able to see the beauty of Christ strengthening His Church through making new intergenerational friendships. These young women profoundly shaped my life, and I am the richer for our time together.

Meet my gospel friend Elle Anderson who taught me this summer. She is fourteen years old, and I have known her for her entire life. We attended Naperville Presbyterian Church together, and now we live in beautiful Colorado Springs, where we are members of Village Seven Presbyterian Church. I encourage you to lean in and learn from her perspective as a young woman.

Truth Hugs

I first experienced the blessing of intergenerational friendships through my mom’s friends at our previous church in Naperville. They were women who took an interest in me, encouraged me, and consistently spoke the good news into my life. They made me feel seen and known. Over the years, I received many “truth hugs” from these women and my mom. These are words of gospel encouragement that have been spoken to me by women during various times of my life.

My mom has told me over the years, “You become what you behold.” Whatever you give your full attention to, whether you hang out with certain people or maybe elevate as an idol, all these things shape you. For example, if you enjoy video games, you’d play them a lot and spend time with people who also like them. You may even treasure playing them above your schoolwork, family, or time with God. If you value and focus on one thing above everything else, it begins to impact you in ways you don’t even notice, for better or worse. There are so many other good things you can behold. If you decide to spend your time with loving and encouraging people, who love the Lord and His people, then you will be shaped by that love you receive and will pour it out into the people that God places in your life. Truth hugs, like this one, have consistently encouraged and reminded me of what is true.

Magnificent Mosaics

In the church, we all, especially younger women, need to hear what’s good and true about who God is and who we are all the time. Teenagers easily feel insecure and distracted, and older women can be a life-giving presence. They have the advantage of experiences they often love to share. Older women, I encourage you to think about some of the younger women that God has put in your life. They are there for a reason! Spend time getting to know them. You can listen to them, learn their stories, and enrich their lives by sharing your faith journey. Their stories can encourage you and remind you of a growing faith. God has a great plan for all women in the church to join together.

A church with so many different generations is like a mosaic. In a mosaic, hundreds of small pieces of colored tile are put together to make a beautiful image. I see all these women as different pieces of tile, each with their separate color, shape, and size. If you look at one tiny piece, all you see is just that piece of tile. But when you put all the tiles together, you can see the whole picture. When we are together, older and younger, our lives tell the most beautiful story of all: the story of God’s goodness and grace.

Treasured Truths Transform us Over Time

Elle is also a talented young artist. I love to look over her shoulder to see whatever project she is creating at the moment. Her challenging words above are also another work of art. Can you see how Christ is assembling the various mosaic pieces together in your church as He gathers a variety of women of all generations who are unified around the beauty of the gospel? This summer, I also took a fantastic adventure to Italy. We saw many beautiful works of art, including a mosaic in Venice. In St. Mark’s Basilica there is one that spans 85,000 square feet. It took eight centuries to complete. Although there are many beautiful colored tiles, the glory of it is the gold pieces that fashion the contrast. We learned that depending on the time of day you enter the church, how the light strikes the tiles makes the colors and scenes look different.

This summer, we beheld God’s glory in His Word and His people. The beauty and richness of gospel friendships unfold over time as we allow His truths to transform us. “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Cor. 3:18). We become what we behold, and we are continually becoming what we will be! His magnificent mosaic won’t be finished until we get Home. Treasured truths and relationships transform us over time. I agree with Elle; as we walk alongside each other, older and younger, our lives tell the most beautiful story of all: the story of God’s goodness and grace.

You can learn more from Elle and the perspective of others in our enCourage Podcast Series: Sanctuary Spectacles: https://women.pcacdm.org/sanctuary-spectacles-series/

Photo by Heather Lo on Unsplash