By Dorothy B.
Since we started our Monday Night Women’s Bible Study last summer, I’ve been struck on a number of occasions by Barbara B's willingness to be vulnerable, and by her wisdom, her gentleness, and her readiness to offer her time and experience to help the other women in the group when needed. I met with her recently to learn more about these aspects of who she is.
Barbara likes being part of the Bible Study group because she loves connecting with others and because “I want to learn everything I can about being a Christian. I’ve attended other studies throughout the years as well, and I just want to sop up the knowledge, hear other’s insights, and keep my brain active. It’s simple, but not easy. The Bible is so rich, but I could study forever and still not get it all.”
But it goes beyond that. Barbara believes that her purpose is to serve the Lord “wherever he directs me. I want to do everything I’m physically able to do, and being open about my life experiences is one way I can serve.”
Barbara shared that she was a difficult child. She was told early on that she had a high IQ, and that led to arrogance. She also respected authority, which caused her to be, in her words, obnoxious, telling others how to live their lives. She was bullied in school for her arrogance, but found she related to the other “picked-on kids” and would find herself looking out for them and their interests. “They were the ones I played with. This was really the beginning of my purpose to serve people. When I was bullied, my parents told me what I could do, but they didn’t intervene. I had to figure out situations for myself, which, for me, was the best thing that could have happened. But I was still bossy, controlling and judgmental! It didn’t bother the picked-on kids because they had someone looking out for them.”
“Growing up, I had two wonderful aunts who depended on the Lord, prayed for me and served as great role models. I didn’t understand it at the time, but I knew they were special. I went to Sunday School, but my parents didn’t talk about God. They just lived their lives the best they could, always working hard. As a teen, I drifted away. While in nursing school, I went to chapel every week, but slowly got into drinking, and that became my god. I took my own children to Sunday School, but I didn’t talk about God with them either. One morning, after many years of being an alcoholic, I had a hangover, and I got down on my knees and said, ‘God, I don’t want to do this anymore. Please help.’ It was not long after that my daughter said to me, ‘Mom, you have a drinking problem. I will support you if you get help, but if you don’t, I may never speak to you again.’ Looking back, I know Jesus was in the car with us that morning.”
“I really didn’t learn how to do life until many years later when I got sober and was taught how to relate to others and get along in the world. I stopped giving advice and telling others what they ‘should’ do. I learned it was more helpful when called upon to share my own experiences to help people think through their situations. I began to understand the faith that my aunts had and how God was working on me all along through others in my life like them.” God later gave me my husband, Dale, who brought out the best in me and eventually gave his life to Christ as well.”
“Jesus is at the center of my life along with sobriety. I need both. I’m eager to keep learning. I feel like I’m still missing something – not sure what, but I’m leaving that up to God and will continue serving him wherever I’m able.”
To end on a fun note, I asked Barbara what she looks most forward to when we are freed from pandemic restrictions: ”Going to Disneyland or to an Angel’s game!”