Who is cheering you on?

Recently, on “All Saints” Sunday, we paused to reflect upon those that have gone before us into heaven. While no perfect person has ever walked the earth besides Jesus, there are so many amazing character qualities I have seen in previous generations I would love to emulate.

Without question, my maternal grandmother inspired my walk with the Lord while she was alive, and has continued to motivate me to “finish the race” since her passing in my childhood. It was not just what she taught me about Jesus and the Bible that encouraged me, but it was so much more about how she lived. She radiated love. I never questioned where I stood with her or how she felt about me – or God.

Hebrews 12:1 (NLV) states, “All these many people who have had faith in God are around us like a cloud. Let us put everything out of our lives that keeps us from doing what we should. Let us keep running in the race that God has planned for us.”

From an eternal stance, my grandmother is on my sidelines with pom poms, water, and bandages. She was and is – all in.

While we certainly hope we are being cheered on by a cloud of witnesses that have gone before us, we should also pay careful attention to who is in our crowd today. While those pursuing God’s race will keep us relationally nourished and hydrated, we need to be cautious of stumbling blocks on our path. Unfortunately, being tripped up can leave us picking the gravel out of our road rash and wondering how we didn’t see the fall coming.

I’ve been extremely lucky in recent years to meet a number of individuals who have propelled my faith journey. These women, with a number of different life stories and backgrounds, have opened my eyes and ears to seek God’s will. They are cheering me on.

In particular, I’ve found a few particular qualities have made for some amazing friends of faith. I love easy ways to remember (because we moms juggle all the things!), so these characteristics can be recalled as TEA. Here we go:

Truth: This is HUGE. If you don’t have a truth-telling friend in your life that will set you straight when you are straying from God’s will for your life, don’t walk to find her – run! I’m overwhelmed, almost speechless, when a friend gently redirects me to Biblical truth. Not because she wants to be right, because she wants to point me to what is right.

Encouragement: I’m grateful for women who motivate me to take the next step in life, however big or small. They don’t belittle my fears, but they don’t allow me to let them take over. They want the best for me, but will seek to help me remain humble in the process.

Authenticity: Authentic women show up, but don’t show out. They are about high-fives, not one-ups, because they are secure in who they are through God. They aren’t hesitant to celebrate my victories or share in my sorrows. They share their triumphs and heartbreaks as well. Through this, we grow together.

Who would you like to invite for TEA? As we enter the holiday season, I would love to encourage you to become intentional about pursuing a relationship that will leave you more whole, and holy, than ever before. In a world that is always vying for our attention, it is my hope and prayer your cheering section will keep pointing you back to Jesus time and time again as you continue your race.