Zebra Ministries: The Importance of Friends

Thursday, March 29, 2012

The Importance of Friends

1 Timothy 4:8 (ESV)

for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

Good morning Zebras,

Last week I went to the hardware store to pick up a bag of sand for Katherine. I went in, paid for the sand, and walked confidently outside to claim my fifty pound purchase. That is when the trouble started.

For the first time in my adult life I was unable to lift fifty pounds. And to add insult to injury a very nice WOMAN came along and offered to help. Even though I protested that I could do it myself, she grabbed it up and carried it to my car.

I was totally shocked that I couldn’t lift fifty pounds. I have always been able to lift fifty pounds. But here is the really sad part. I have been going to the gym off and on years and in my mind I was getting stronger.

When I go to the gym I enjoy the elliptical and I tolerate the stationary bike but I really don’t like lifting weights. I do it because I know it is good for me, but I don’t really push myself as hard as I could. “No pain, no gain” is not my gym motto. My motto is more like “Don’t do enough to make it hurt.”

However I am now painfully aware that just going and doing the easy stuff means I have been basically wasting my time. I have not been building new muscles like I thought, in fact I haven’t even been maintaining the ones I had. I have been slowly slipping backwards and I never even noticed.

That’s when I knew the lesson wasn’t really about the gym. And it wasn’t about the importance of building good strong spiritual muscles. It was about the deceitful nature of the human heart and our amazing ability to convince ourselves that everything is going well, when in reality we are way off track.

Of course this never would have happened if my nephew had been with me. As a physical trainer he would have noticed right away that I was just “playing gym.” He would have told me to knock it off, hopefully I would have listened.

And that reminded me of a story about a king and a lady who was taking a bath.

King David’s encounter with Bathsheba is recorded in 2 Samuel 11, his rebuke by Nathan in 2 Samuel 12 and his contrite heart before God in Psalm 51. All of which are great reading if you need to be reminded of the importance of having Godly people in your life who love you enough to confront you when you are wrong and the way you should respond when they do.

Love,

Jill

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Why Zebras?

In the summer of 2008 I was looking at a herd of zebras in a wild animal park and commented to my son that I didn’t understand why the lions didn’t just eat the zebras because their markings make them so obvious. He told me that the opposite was actually true. God has marked zebras so when they hang together in a herd, their stripes create the illusion they are one large animal and therefore too big to attack. It is the lone zebra that is usually eaten. The same is true of Christians; we must hang together and encourage each other to fight off the lions. The lone Christian is easy prey.

1 Peter 5:8
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Therefore:

Zebras was started to encourage women who desire to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, who want their lives to be transformed to honor God and who are willing to be “zebras” in a world of “horses”. Zebras exists to reassure you that you are not alone and that God has called you to be peculiar. As a peculiar person you should look different than the world

Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Pastor Endorsement

Jill Getchell speaks from her heart and from God’s word in a way that brings encouragement and hope to God’s people. I’ve been blessed to hear her at Awana conferences, a women’s retreat, and from the pulpit of our church. I am confident your people will be equally blessed by spending the day with Jill at We Have Hope...your church will be blessed as well.

Pastor Al Marks

First Baptist Church Vallejo

I have known Jill for many years now. She truly desires to encourage the churches in our community and to strengthen the believers that attend our churches. Her passion for Jesus comes out in her ability to speak, and her heart is to encourage all those that attend to go back into their churches and be a blessing.

Pastor Kelly Patchin

New Harbor Community Church, Benicia

I believe women are vital to the unity and health of the church. They bear the image of God and serve Him in a great way within His church. Zebras has the ability to unite and excite women to grow in their faith and in their relationships with each other. In John 17:20 Jesus says, "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” One of Christ’s last prayers for His church is that they would be one as He is with the Father. And through our unity the world can come to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation. Unity is essential for a healthy church and healthy relationships between women. Zebras can stimulate healthy growth in the spiritual lives of the women in your church too. It is a blessing at New Harbor and I believe it would be a blessing for any pastor to have in their church.

Kelly Patchin, Pastor
New Harbor Community Church

Testimonies

The Zebra herd has given me the opportunity to be myself. I think we all have a face we put on for others, especially on Sunday. We don’t want to let anyone see the pain or hurt we’re suffering because we feel that it’s a reflection on our walk with Christ. I now have a group of loving Christian women with whom to share the joys and sorrows equally… Without the Zebras, I’d still be wearing my Sunday face. ...............Dawn C.

The Zebra ministry has deepened my relationship with Christ and the women at my church beyond what I thought possible... Most importantly, it has given me a safe place to be very, very real… I have learned how to be transparent and allow my fellow Zebra sisters to support me in prayer and God to minister to the deepest part of my soul--the part that needed it the most.................... Jennifer H.

When I came to New Harbor Church I was so lonely. I knew I needed the fellowship of other Christian women but did not know if I could break out of my self-imposed isolation. I felt unworthy of anyone’s friendship, let alone" godly people"... But Zebras has made me feel the true acceptance of these wonderful women. I have slowly opened my heart to them, with their encouragement and love! I don't have that heavy ache of solitude anymore. ................Barbara B.

I was with you in the beginning meetings of the herd and watched it evolve into a place where we as sisters in Christ could share our burdens without judgment. Being a Zebra helped me through a very trying time- Leap of Faith– leaving a relationship, selling my home and trusting in God. It was encouraging to know that I was not alone and being a part of a group where women could feel understood, comforted, and lifted up spiritually. .................Tracy M.

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