Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. Proverbs 31:10-12

I don’t know of a better Christian than Gina. Her life is marked by joy, wisdom, mercy, kindness, forgiveness, and vision. She is standing by the cross through faith and with joy even in grief.

“I didn’t sign up for this!” It simply means that whatever the difficulty you are facing, this is not what you envisioned and not what you would have wanted.

For my mom, it was just the opposite. From the beginning of her marriage to Dad with his health issues, she “signed up” for a life of trouble and challenges. And although I am sure she didn’t face every day without some fear, she has been standing by the cross faithfully, and still lives each day in the strength of her Savior.

Meet Kaitlin. She is married to our son, Will, and is mom to three of our grandchildren. In this series of sharing women of influence who are “Standing Near the Cross” of Jesus, I want you to know about Kaitlin and how she exemplifies this through a lifestyle of following Jesus wherever He leads her. She is truly standing by the cross of Jesus, listening to His voice, trusting His heart, and following His lead.

Wanda Bicknell, Gina’s mom, is standing by the cross of Jesus, walking in the Spirit, waiting for her next assignment from God, grieving with hope, and trusting God for what He has planned.

Do you have a godly mom who influenced your life? What women in your life have influenced you to draw near to God?

In John 19, we see there are several women, including the mother of Jesus, standing by the cross.

Mother’s Day is coming up soon (May 14)!

How can we give honor to our moms? If you are a mom, how can drawing near to the cross of Christ change you and influence all of those around you to love and follow Him?