Meet team Bethesda!!!
This is team Bethesda! A beautiful team of 7 women who truly embody the love of Christ and walk in God’s freedom every day. These women are the most encouraging, caring, wise, and funniest people I know. To know them is to know our Heavenly Father and his heart! Let me introduce them to you!
This is Esther, our squad leader! She is full of joy and wisdom. Esther is one of the most compassionate people I have met and is always meeting people where they are at! She has taught me so much already about how to serve others better and how to be a better listener!
This is Remy! Remy is very strong and confident but is also very empathetic with others. She is very passionate with everything she says, especially when it comes to God’s word! Remy is very gracious and always looking out for others! Remy has taught me how to walk in the Lord’s freedom and how to have courage!
This is Yeye! Yeye is very kind and cares deeply for people, it’s something I love most about her! She loves helping others and hearing their stories. She is lighthearted yet bold and not afraid to stand up for herself and those she loves! Yeye has taught me how to be patient and kind with people and really press into those around you!
This is Libby! She is very energetic and always has something funny to say! Libby is such a joy to be around and loves others well! She is full of wisdom and always has interesting questions to think about! Libby has taught me how to embrace the joy of the Lord and spread it to everyone around me!
This is Maura! Maura is very calm and carries out the fruit of gentleness so well! She has such a sweet spirit and is very refreshing to be around! Maura is very kind and can always cheer up your day! Maura has taught me to be more easy going and to be a ray of sunshine everywhere I go!
Now that you’ve met the team, what the heck does our team name “Bethesda” mean?
Bethesda comes from John 5:1-17. Bethesda is a pool in Jerusalem by the sheep gate. It was thought to have healing powers for the first person who got in when an angel would stir up the waters in the natural spring. Jesus went on the sabbath and met a man who had been paralyzed for 38 years. Jesus asked if the man wanted to be healed but the man told him he couldn’t since he couldn’t walk and had no one to bring him into the water when stirring. Jesus then says in John 5:8, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” The man then got up and walked and went telling everyone about what had happened. The Pharisees were not happy about Jesus’s miraculous healing and the man carrying his mat on because it was done on The Sabbath, a day set aside for God and rest, no work was to be done. Jesus then slipped away without telling anyone who he was.
The word Bethesda is a Hebrew word meaning “house of grace and kindness”. This is exactly what my team wants to be. An inviting place where people feel safe, welcomed, and never feel ashamed. A place to extend God’s grace and mercy to others, a place of healing.
The pool of Bethesda was near a sheep gate, which is exactly as it sounds, a gate where sheep would go through to get to the pool. Jesus talks about his “sheep” (children) a lot in the Bible. In Luke 15:2-7 he says he loves his sheep so much he leaves the 99 to chase down the one lost one and rejoices once home, although he ran away. In John 21 he tells Peter to practice his love for Christ by feeding his sheep. Team Bethesda wants to take care of God’s children. We want to help seek after the lost and to care for his children.
Jesus also healed on the Sabbath, a day of rest set aside for God and no work was to be done. Why did Jesus heal then? Aren’t we supposed to rest and seek God? He healed because ministry is life, his exact words were 17 “But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” Jesus did the exact thing God told us to do, to use the Sabbath to glorify God. We want to live always ready to do the kingdom’s work, no matter what day it is, no excuses. He also performed God’s will and slipped away before he got any of the glory or recognition for God’s work. He wanted God to get the glory, not him. We want to do the same and not boast in ourselves but the glory of our loving, all powerful Heavenly Father.
This name will be what we look to during the good days and the hard days. A reminder of our passion and vision for our team that we started with and strive to keep. We want to love others above anything else, no judgment or shame attached. We want to chase after the lost until they find their way home and take care of their needs. We want to always be willing to do the Father’s will no matter the circumstances. We want to be humble and give God all the glory he deserves.
Thank you for taking the time to read about my amazing new family and our passion behind our team. I wish y’all could meet them in person and know their beautiful souls. Love you all!
All my love,
Analise
