Skip to main content

My Miss Kay

We had our Ladies' Retreat for church this weekend. It was a wonderful time and experience for me. I've really been needing to be "fed" lately with the Word and this was a great time for that. We had lots of good music and a wonderful speaker. The theme of the weekend was "Be Inspired." We talked about being a mentor to other women, and being mentored by other women. Shirley talked about the two qualities you should have when being a "mentor" - love and acceptance of others. And of course, the person who kept coming to my mind, who just embodied those qualities of love and acceptance, was My Miss Kay.
 

Of course, I call her "My Miss" Kay. She is married, so not technically a "miss" but every woman
 at Baptist churches is called "miss" and she isn't "mine," but she is so dear to my heart, that I like to claim her as mine.
 
Miss Kay is one of the most beloved people I've ever known. The reason she is so beloved is because she loves any and everyone, and Jesus' light shines through her face so bright. She worked in my youth group as a leader and just loved each and every one of us with all of her heart. She still does. Every time I see her, I get a kiss on the cheek and a big hug, and she says, "Hey my sweet baby, I love ya." That's what she has said to me, every time I have seen her, for 20 years.
 
Kay is the best cook and one of my fondest memories as a youngster was eating Miss Kay's famous strawberry cake. When I got married, one of my most cherished gifts was her strawberry cake recipe. And try as I might, mine is wonderful, but never quite as delicious as when she makes it.  
 
Miss Kay is the reason I wanted to work with youth. She loved us all so much as youth, that it inspired me to pass that some love along. Almost every memory at church as a youth involved her smiling, sweet, beautiful face and I just couldn't imagine her not being apart of those memories. As an adult, she said something to me that I will never forgot. It's funny how you can hear a phrase from many people, yet when it comes from someone that inspired you your whole life, it just really sinks in. She hugged me, and in my ear said, "I am so proud of you. You are just a wonderful mother, both to Avery, and Jordan and Sophia. You are doing a great job and I am so proud." Her compliment was one of the most meaningful ones of my entire life, and I will forever remember her telling me that.
 
See, when you start talking about people who have mentored and insprired you, you sometimes don't realize how much they meant to you until you become an adult, and you realize just how wonderful they are and how much they've influenced your life. This weekend really convicted me to show love. To show Jesus' love, to everyone. And all that means, very simply is just to love and accept everyone, just as Miss Kay does. Miss Kay, I love you more than you will ever know, and just like I told you this weekend, you've influenced me in more ways than you will ever know!

 

Comments

Anonymous said…
Jenna, so glad to catch up on your blog! For some reason it was missing from blog land for a few weeks! Not sure if I was the only one who couldn't find it....happy to catch up!
Danielle
Anonymous said…
I haven't known her quite as long, but I completely agree! She is unspeakably precious.

Popular posts from this blog

It was a very good day.

I love it when God smiles upon us. I mean, He smiles upon us all the time. But sometimes, it's like sunshine, and Christmas morning, and rainbows, and babies, and awesomeness. On steroids. And I know that those times are not always permanent, so I learn to really wrap myself in His goodness, to take it all in, be happy, and just sit back and wait to see what He is going to do in my life. We have been struggling so long. I knew it was only a matter of time before things would be OK again. Where we would feel a little stability. Where we would take all of the things we learned while struggling and apply then when times are good. We have alot of great things going on in our lives right now. Some really great things. Some amazing, mindblowing, off the grid kind of great things. I wish I could share more, but for right now, let's just say that we are incredibly blessed with some great opportunities God is putting in our lives. I leave you with a gorgeous picture of our biggest bl

What is Your Skin Care Regimen?

Since turning 34 this year, I've been really trying to make sure I am taking care of my skin. I have been using Cover Girl Liquid Powder for years, but it always seemed to break my neck out. And full disclosure, my face cleaning routine consisted of using Avery's baby wipes (which actually do remove eye makeup surprisingly well). So, needless to say, my skin didn't always look its best.   So, I received some gift cards for my birthday and I decided to go ahead and spring for some better products. First thing I did was get something designed to clean my face. I ordered the Olay ProX Microdermabrasion System.     This system came with the battery-operated scrubber with both a brush and foam pad, plus every day face wash and microdermabrasion wash to be used twice a week. I have really loved using this system. The beauty is that you can really use any face wash you'd like. I will probably buy a pore-reducing wash after the tube they sent me is empty. This syst

Dancing With Dad

I have been working on a project these last couple of weeks for my previous company. Yesterday, I was working on my computer and heard roaring laughter coming from Avery's room. I walk in and found Jason and Avery dancing and singing away.   By sheer coincidence, this popped up on my Timehop today. Avery was only 1 in this picture. Boy, are these kiddos lucky to have such a great dad! It makes me heart melt.