We are all Middle Women

We. Are. All. Middle. Women. 

Middle. As I type that word, I realize that whatever context I insert the word “middle” into, less than favorable circumstances spring to mind. Middle seat of an airplane? Everyone knows that’s the least desirable place to be. Middle aged? Well that’s just a recipe for a mid-life crisis. Middle of the afternoon? Too far from coffee and not close enough to bedtime. 

Between two ends of extremes lies the word “middle”. What does it mean then to be a “Middle Woman”? Titus 2:3-4 instructs older women, “They are to teach what is good, so that they may encourage the young women”. Here we see a picture of the two extremes “older women” and “younger women”. Stop and consider. Which do you see yourself as? 

To answer this question, we must understand that there is more than age involved in this passage. Are you an older woman if you have been walking with Jesus as a seasoned believer? Are you a younger woman if you are experiencing marriage or motherhood for the very first time? Regardless of where we are in our journey, we always have someone ahead of us we can learn from and emulate (the older woman). We also always have someone we can encourage in the faith and point towards Jesus (the younger woman). The truth is, we are all somewhere in the middle.

At the heart of the matter is discipleship. Discipleship is multidirectional. As daughters of the King, we are part of a loving family where we are met in the middle by a father who designed us to be in community. No longer is the middle an unfavorable place to be, but rather a place to be surrounded and supported in discipleship. Middle Women exists to equip women to engage God’s Word together, using their gifts to encourage those behind them and emulate those ahead of them. We. Are. All. Middle. Women. 

—Hannah Radford, MWM Assistant Director