Come, Follow Me
Dear Friends,
As we wrap up this What She Said series, I’m eager to introduce you to my friend, Pam Clarke. The first time I saw Pam was when she made a church announcement about an upcoming women’s ministry event. Her enthusiasm and clear passion for sharing Jesus with other women quickly drew in listeners, and I thought, “I would love to get to know this woman, I think we could be friends!” However, life took us in different directions, but about five years later, our paths crossed again. Her son, Doug, and our granddaughter Danielle were engaged. And I learned I was right, I love getting to know Pam, and we are enjoying building a friendship. We now share grandchildren — actually, great-grandchildren for me — and are looking forward to welcoming another little one into our family.
Pam’s love for Jesus and His Word shines in every part of her life. She founded Enduring Faith Ministries with the goal of helping transition people inside and outside of prisons through the teaching of God’s Word. For about twelve years, Pam and her husband Ron taught Bible studies in prisons in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey. Retired from her role as CEO, Pam is currently President and owner of PGC Practice Management. This Delaware corporation manages mental health practices and provides medical billing and bookkeeping services.
Pam brings her love for the Word to us and starts this week with a dive into the life of Peter and invites us to rejoice in the picture of a broken man, redeemed by Jesus. On Thursday, with Peter’s redemption story in mind, Pam shares some of her own journey to Jesus:
“Cultural Perfection: When I was a child, nothing thrilled me more than a visit to my grandmother’s house. Her name was Goldie, and it was my joy to spend time with her. On most occasions, my siblings and I would arrive at her home, and she would always greet us at the door in a pretty dress, with a starched apron and coiffed hair. It was the early 1960’s, and that is the way things were. When you entered the house, the smell of freshly baked cookies filled the air. She was an amazing cook! Her house was immaculate, and to me, she was perfect in every way. At an early age in my life, I decided in my heart that I was going to be just like her — perfect in every way! She encouraged this cultural attitude in me by telling me that the way you kept your home reflected the type of woman you were. “Always keep a clean house.” She would say. “Always look polished and put together.” She taught me that you should greet your husband with a smile and make his favorite dinners. This was how I was trained as I grew up, and it was the cultural mindset of the times. Be perfect!
Fast forward 10 years, and I am married with kids, and flying through life like a crazy monkey swinging on trees. Living a picture-perfect life is much easier said than done, and I wasn’t living up to the standard that my grandmother had set for me. Not only was I missing the mark, but the stress of trying was impacting every area of my life. I continued to strive towards the goal of achieving cultural perfection. Then came God.
In my early 40s, church was added to my already full life, and I quickly learned that my Grandma’s standard was nothing compared to God’s standard. The impact of the 10 Commandments was discouragement and defeat for me as I began to realize how far short I was in reaching any form of perfection. Yet again, I continued to strive towards the goal of achieving both a cultural and a godly perfection.
Well, I am sure you can feel my pain, stress, anger, frustration, and disappointment! Over 40 years of grasping for a perfection that I could never reach. By now, alcoholism, bitterness, and hopelessness had also entered my heart and life. It was at this broken and sorrowful point that I fell prostrate on the floor in the family room of my home and cried to God for help! I was in trouble.”
Can you relate to Pam’s story? Have you responded to Jesus’ words, “Come, follow me?” If not, I pray Pam’s messages will help turn your heart toward Jesus.
Treasured by Him,
Sharon
PRAYER
Father, You hold nothing back in Scripture, and the stories of broken people experiencing salvation and purpose encourages us to run to You with our own sin and bad choices. Thank You for Jesus. Amen.
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Sharon W. Betters is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.
Contact Sharon with comments or questions at dailytreasure@markinc.org.
