Soul SiSterS
It started with the decision to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary by attending a grandparenting conference. Eyes were opened. Pledges were made. A seed planted.
Depending on how you counted, we had six, nine, or eleven grandkids at the time. (Counting gets complicated when divorce, foster care, adoption, and second marriages are a part of the story.)
I was determined to do something to have a greater impact on my grandchildren’s lives of faith in a country which seems to be growing increasingly hostile to the idea of the God portrayed in the Bible. I was determined, but also nervous and unsure. Covering many miles and ages with full and busy lives I could only think of one thing sure to impact them all. Prayer, of course.
I had already been praying, but those prayers were often based on the need of the moment, so my husband and I established a new habit. We handily have five children which divide up nicely into the weekdays. Starting with the oldest on Mondays, the second on Tuesdays and so on, we dedicated concentrated prayer time to each of the five kids, their spouses, and offspring. For those still single, we prayed for their future mates and children as well as God’s direction and protection in their current unmarried state. A good start.
A few months later, I had another idea. This one for the granddaughter on the cusp of junior high. Being only one of two granddaughters and the only one in physically close proximity, it made sense to start with her. I decided on a simple monthly get together with her and a friend or two of her choice. We would focus on one domestic skill a month. My hope was that she might enter adulthood a little more domestically skilled and prepared than her disorganized grandma did. I pictured myself chatting with my granddaughter and her friends about things of lasting spiritual value over a loaf of homemade bread and jam or while ironing, or decorating, or putting together a cookbook of favorite recipes.
Nice picture, right? A picture where I looked just like June Cleaver only in color.
Let me tell you one thing. June never heard of COVID or Zoom. (What? You’ve never heard of June? See Leave it to Beaver circa. 1957 – 1963)
In the end, my granddaughter, five other girls, and the grandma from her mom’s side of the family shared a little over a patient year with me as we figured out how to implement this simple plan for the group the girls decided to name Soul SiSterS (emphasizing the four S’s from item #3 below):
Soul SiSterS Plan
- One meeting a month for a year (after which we determine who would like to continue for another year and, if we decide to continue, whether we want to invite anyone to join us for the next year).
- Our overall goal was to develop habits that help us live according to what Jesus said when asked about the most important commandment.
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40
- A focus on these four areas:
Scripture (systematic Bible study, prayer, memorization, meditation, and application)
Stewardship (developing good habits and disciplines in caring for body, possessions, relationships, education etc.)
Skills (lessons on various topics, some options listed below)
Service (applying the skills as ways to love our “neighbors”).
- By the end of our year together, if all went well, we’d have twelve scriptures memorized, twelve new (or improved) skills, and twelve new (or improved) habits.
Some Ideas for Skills to Learn
needle craft (knit, crochet, sew, needlepoint, macrame etc.)
kitchen binder/meal planning/grocery shopping
table setting
bread making
food dehydrating
fermentation (making yogurt, kombucha, sauerkraut etc.)
exercise and fitness
nutrition
Davidic dance (kind of like Jewish line dancing in a circle : )
journaling
house cleaning
laundry
decorating
childcare
pet care and training
gardening and plant care
hair-styling and hair care
clothing style, color, and fashion
skin care and makeup
finances
organizing
gifts, cards, and wrapping (Christmas, birthdays, holidays etc.)
Did we meet all those goals? No. But we were closer to meeting those goals than we would have been if we hadn’t had our Soul SiSterS to meet with.
As we are now starting our second year, I’m excited to invite other moms, aunts, or grandmas to join us with groups of their own. You are welcome to just take the above plan and shape it to fit your own vision, but if you have questions, would like some supporting materials, or want to see how other groups are using the ideas, please drop me an email with Soul SiSterS in the subject line.
