The Builder Leaves a Legacy

Read |2 Timothy 3:10-4:8|

This month we pause to honor the  mothers of our faith. Read the assigned Scripture and then reflect on the life of a woman who lived up to the call of God on her life in such a way as to inspire our Be-Held Writers to love God too. ​

The woman who was instrumental in establishing my faith is the Rev. Glenna Spencer A.A. She is Guyanese by birth and her work spans the Methodist Church in The Caribbean and the Americas. She died at the beginning of last month and my mind still cannot comprehend her death. Her spiritual persuasion left an indelible mark on my life and countless others. 
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Anyone who came in contact with Sister Glenna (as we fondly call her) knew that she was a woman of God. Her deportment, speech and mannerisms spoke volumes. I was fascinated, and still am, by her love for God, which she declared through passionate, steadfast and diligent pursuit of His service. We (youth groups, women's leagues, men’s fellowships, and other groups of the church) were all smitten by her intelligence and the creative ways she used it to honor God and His people. Her ministry was fresh, relevant and effective in capturing souls for the Kingdom of God.
 
Rev. Spencer worked in the Jamaica District of Methodist Churches for several years. Upon her return home (Guyana) she organized many collaborative activities within the local church, which fostered a commitment to serious Bible study amongst persons young and old, honed the gifts of local leaders and prepared the youth to responsibly and excellently steward positions within the local church.

In 1991, at a camp she had established, I came to have one of the most defining experiences of my spiritual journey. I could not sit still. It was nighttime and we were singing choruses, accompanied by drums and tambourines, when something happened-someone made an appearance.  It was the Holy Spirit. He descended upon us: some of us cried, others danced like David, while others sang gloriously. I danced. Our theme song that year was “Here I am Lord” and He delighted at our invitation. Sis. Glenna was on the sidelines watching. Later, when I neared her she remarked, “I saw you dancing out there”. 

Sis. Glenna’s faithfulness resulted in her building platforms for Jesus to make Himself known to others. In her own way, she paved the way for all of us to come spirit to Spirit. But, that was not the end of her contribution. She also helped me to understand what I had experienced that night. She put words to my experience and connected it to the experiences of other saints. And she did not despise my youthfulness when I admitted that I once laughed at my Sunday School teacher for dancing as I had. She listened and said: “You experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit.”

We did not always agree. There were times when I felt bullied- pressured into doing what she wanted me to do. However, upon reflection, she did it so that we could commit (in thought, word and deed) to the work of the Lord. 

Thanks, in great part, to her influence I am an ordained Methodist Minister, with a passion to win souls for the Kingdom of God. Rev. Glenna’s Legacy lives on in me and countless others around the globe. May her soul continue to rest in peace and light perpetual shine upon her.

Reflect:

1. What are you building today?
2. Why are you building it?
3. Can God use what you are building as a platform? Are you willing to surrender it so that He may be made known?
4. Who are you intentionally sowing into? With whom are you sharing your time, treasure, talent or experience?
5. If you are sharing, are you sharing so that God may use your little to accomplish His much in their lives or for your own purposes?
6. Who are you helping come out of isolation and into a life lived in fellowship with other believers?
7. Whose isolated experiences are you helping to contextualize through sharing your testimony and or other Scripturally sound wisdom you have gleaned along the way?
8. Are you an empathetic and trustworthy listener? Can someone pour out her heart to you and actually be heard? Can someone confide in you  without fear of being gossiped about?
9. Who are you mentoring?
10.  Who is mentoring you?