“I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you.” 2 Timothy 1:5

If there ever was a scripture in the Bible that tells my story about my family and how I grew up, then it would have to be this one. Now that I’m older, I’m able to see just how blessed I was to have the precious gift of women pouring the love of God into me. I’m overwhelmed with joy when I realize just what a blessing it was to experience this with close family members and not just friends. Now I realize that not everyone has this honor and privilege, so if you didn’t grow up this way, that’s okay because God will bring other people into your life to take the place of absent or deceased family members. He brings people into our lives so that we can experience the beautiful gift of His love no matter whether they are blood relatives or not. God has the awesome way of providing just who we need in our lives at just the time we need them most.

I want to recognize three women in my life that have poured God’s unconditional love into me. These women were so faithful to plant seeds of love, kindness, peace, and joy in my life whether they were aware of it or not. Those seeds are now a multiplied exponential harvest in my life. I am reaping from seeds that I didn’t plant. How thankful, humbled, and honored I am to be the recipient of all of these blessings. God loves me that much!

The first lady that I want to recognize is someone that I never had the privilege of meeting. She actually passed away long before I was ever born. That lady is none other than my great grandmother, Mary Emmaline Prince Cupp. My mother has told me many stories of what she was like. She was a little woman that deeply loved the Lord. She was on-fire for God and loved to shout. She deeply cherished The Lord’s Prayer and lived that out in her daily life. She saw God answer some pretty serious needs in her life. She didn’t have much as far as earthly wealth, but she possessed a wealth of God’s love that shown through the smile on her face. She was a lover of The Word. She had something special on the inside of her. She was different because she loved God passionately. She didn’t keep His love to herself. She passed it on to all of her friends and family.

The next lady is someone that I had the honor and privilege of knowing very well, and that’s none other than my grandmother, Mae Cupp Wattenbarger. Anyone that met her always said the same thing about her, and that was how much she loved God. She had the most precious smile that was a reflection of His love for us. She shared His love with her family and all of her friends. She was a prayer warrior that knew how to pray through. She loved to read and study The Word. You couldn’t get around her without sensing The Presence of God. She was such a joy and blessing to everyone. She was something special. She was truly a beautiful woman inside and out.

The last lady that I want to honor and recognize is none other than my mother, Carolyn Wattenbarger Norwood. This lady has been a picture of God’s unconditional love to me. She has modeled before me just what a Proverbs 31 woman looks like. She is beautiful, graceful, and always full of God’s joy and love. She has been a source of encouragement to me at the lowest point in my life. She, just like the other two ladies, is a prayer warrior. She reads and studies The Bible more than anyone I know. She is such a strong woman that doesn’t let Satan take any ground in our family. She loves fiercely and passionately. I never have to wonder if my mother loves me. I know she does! That’s just the way that God loves me. What a beautiful reflection of God’s beauty in her.

God revealed to me that I was from a long line of mighty women of God, and I would have to agree. Their might didn’t come from their own strength, but it came from Him. His love poured forth from each of them and continues to pour forth today, whether they are physically on this earth or not. His love has been passed down from one generation to the next. From great grandmother, to grandmother, to mother, and now on to me, daughter. Each seed planted wasn’t in vain because I am now reaping a beautiful harvest. All of those seeds of prayer and words of life and blessing spoken over me are priceless.

There are so many things that money just can’t buy, and to have a family lineage that has loved and served God has made me a very wealthy woman. I never want to take any of these beautiful blessings for granted. I want to cherish all of this in my spirit.

God, continue to use me to pour forth Your love to others. May You be a beautiful aroma in my life. May Your Presence in me change everyone that I meet. May I be a reflection of Your love to others that are hurting and need a friend. Father, consume me, and show me Your heart. May every seed planted in my life from these three precious ladies continue to grow and be planted in other people’s lives today. Thank You for changing my life by their example set before me. Thank You for bringing these special ladies into my life. I know that I am loved!