A Woman of Worth – Jenny

Welcome to my Woman of Worth series. I’m so excited to introduce you to the women in my life that have made a difference to me and so many others. I’ve been blessed to have met some amazing ladies that have encouraged and challenged me to be a strong Woman of God. You’ve heard, I’m sure, that everyone has a story. When I first meet someone, I love to hear their story. We may feel like the only one that doesn’t have a perfect life story that social media would like for us to believe so many have. When we can take those not so perfect areas of life and use it for the Glory of God, your life becomes even more beautiful.

Today, I am honored to introduce you to my friend, Jenny.

When I was serving as an associate pastors wife and homeschooling my two kiddos, I attended an event at our church for women with a local guest speaker. She was a pastor’s wife at a church in my city. She shared her life story and challenged us to use where we came from to reach others. Jenny had us all laughing and crying at the entire evening! I introduced myself to her at the end of the evening and went home. A few weeks later, I was invited to go to a women’s event out of town by two older ladies that I had briefly met at a political meeting. When they picked me up, Jenny was with them. Let’s just say, she had us laughing all the way to our event. I had never met anyone like her. She was all over the place. She was loud, she was funny, she was emotional and she was interested in everyone she met. My husband had met her husband at a conference and he was a huge encouragement to my Jim as well. We all went to dinner one evening and enjoyed the visit. Jenny invited me to various events at their church and it was so refreshing to be around someone who just had an exuberant love for the Lord. She loved my kids and treated them with such kindness and respect. She was very busy traveling the country speaking and I was busy with my church and family life as well as homeschooling. One day, she called and said they were moving to Oklahoma City to pastor a church. We said our goodbyes and I lost touch with her.

A few years later, we moved to Tennessee for a short time and then on to Edmond, Oklahoma. After we were moved into our new house and getting settled, I remembered that Jenny had moved to the area I was in. I did a search and called her. When she picked up the phone and I told her who I was and that I was now living in Edmond, Oklahoma, she squealed so loud I had to hold the phone out to protect my ears. In perfect Jenny fashion, she was speaking at a women’s club the next day and invited me to attend. Reluctantly, I went as I didn’t know anyone or what to expect. When Jenny saw me she gave a big hug and introduced me to everyone at her table. Our friendship picked right back up where we left off when we said goodbye in Texas a few years before.. We now live far apart and rarely see one another, but we keep up with phone calls and texting.

Jenny has an incredible life story. She was born in Kingsville, Texas. When she was 11 years old, she came home from school and the police were at her house. Her life would never be the same. Her father had murdered her mother and then killed himself. Jenny and her siblings were sent to a Southern Baptist Children’s Home. Because of the love and care of her House Mother, she was introduced to Jesus. Jenny gave her life to Christ and she was greatly loved by the leaders of this home and the community that helped support the children’s home. I love her stories of her House Mother teaching her about Jesus and life. Eventually, Jenny was able to go to a Baptist College and she met her husband who was studying to be a pastor. She became a school teacher and she and her husband, Sam, had three daughters who are all three amazing young women of God. Jenny and Sam have now been married for 52 years. Oh, how I wish I had the time to share all the stories she has. Just like the first time I heard her speak, you would be laughing at her hilarious stories and then cry as she shares her early life stories. Then you would marvel at the amazing grace of God! The name of her talk was God’s Girl, Orphan No More! What a great title for her! Later in life Jenny found out that the man she called father was really not her father. She then learned her grandfather was actually her father. Her story is a life changing story due to her giving her life to Christ and not allowing the enemy to get the victory in what was meant to destroy her.

Jenny and her husband are living a quieter life these days in retirement and I can only imagine all the lives that have been helped because of Jenny and her husband. Lives are still being changed as when I talk to Jenny she will tell me about a lady she saw walking carrying groceries in the heat or the cold and she gives her a ride. If she hears of a tragedy in someone’s life, she will be the one to show up and pass out treats for the children. She always gets their name and contact and she will always go back and check on them to make sure all is well. Whatever Jenny can think of to do to help someone, she will. If you happen to be a waiter when she is out to eat, she will have your name and probably pray over you right then and there.

That’s just a small touch of Jenny’s life. She is a Woman of Worth and I know God is well pleased with how she has used the tragedies of her life to help others.

One of the many verses Jenny loves is the one her House Mother would quote her as she rocked her in a rocking chair on a regular basis is “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and mighty things which you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3 Jenny says she wanted to know those great and mighty things! From that verse she called on Jesus and her life was forever changed.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5

This is the verse that Jenny clung to as she has gone through all the emotions of understanding and accepting her life story and using it to God’s Glory!

The many things that Jenny has taught me is to love hospitality, always be aware of others and their needs, to look for ways to serve others, honoring our husbands, praying for our children, use the gifts God gave me to serve others, meet and know our neighbors, be a student of God’s Word, and my list could go on and on. One of the things that has stuck with me since I met her is always make sure my friends know each other. Jenny has a million friends and I feel like I know all of them. She always makes sure she introduces everyone and connects them somehow. She’s always looking for a way that people can connect.

To read about the other Women of Worth in my series, click here!