Keeping it Real

By Kathryn Whitbourne, Senior and Web Editor

When I started writing for Hope for Women, Angie, the publisher, shared with me her vision for making this magazine a place for Christian women which would be real and truthful about living a faith-filled life. I thought this was a great concept. So often we as Christians have a hard time being real with each other. We all know the “correct” answer to the question (”You just need to read your Bible and pray more”) but if we are not doing it, no one will say it.

I am in two Bible study classes — one is part of the large church I attend and meets on Sunday mornings. The other is a group of women who meet at someone’s house every other Saturday. I am struck by the differences in what people say. While my Sunday morning class seems to be an honest group, and are ready to share their trials and problems, everyone confidently proclaims the goodness of God in their lives. I’ve never heard anyone say they were struggling with this. By contrast, at the Saturday group, one week a woman said, “I know God is supposed to be first in my life but honestly when I have a problem the first person I turn to is my husband.”
I was very glad she said that. Because I too have had that conflict where my experience of God doesn’t match what everyone else says they are having. How do you work through it? I wish church was more of a place where people could voice concerns like that, because how else will you grow if you can’t?

I trust Hope for Women magazine will be a safe place where people can talk about all their faith issues both celebratory and doubt-filled and grow as we continue to let God work on us all.