Semester’s first Metochai meeting provides spiritual nourishment for student wives

Student wives found spiritual encouragement at the first Metochai meeting of the semester, Aug. 29, where they listened to speaker Carol Ann Draper, shared their lives with friends going through similar experiences, and received mentorship from faculty wives. The theme of Metochai for the new school year is “Passionately Pursued,” derived from Zephaniah 3:17—“The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.”

“I pray that every woman … leaves here encouraged and knows that she is not walking the journey of seminary life alone,” said Dean of Women’s Programs Terri Stovall during the opening prayer, “but that there is a body that You put together here at Southwestern to walk with them.”

Draper served as the evening’s speaker. A Baylor University graduate and wife of President Emeritus of LifeWay Christian Resources Jimmy Draper, she said that she received her “PHT (Put Hubby Through)” degree at Southwestern Seminary in 1973, when her husband graduated with his Master of Divinity. As Draper recounted her experiences as a pastor’s wife aiding her husband through seminary, she encouraged student wives to put their trust in God and walk closely with Him in prayer and Scripture.

“I’ll never forget God’s love and provision for us all through our time at seminary,” Draper said. “You can’t have a better journey than to know that the God of this universe who knows everything is going to always provide for your need. … He doesn’t lead us week by week, but He is there for us breath by breath, step by step.”

When God guides believers into difficult or overwhelming situations, Draper said, they must remember that God desires to be ultimately glorified through them. Drawing from her own experience, she explained, “He said, ‘I am going to assign you something to do that you can never do apart from Me.’ Because you see, God says, ‘I won’t share My glory with another.’”

Draper also emphasized the importance of reading God’s Word and maintaining a prayer life in order to experience God’s loving providence. She encouraged the women to read the Word devotionally rather than merely to prepare for a test or lecture. One way to apply God’s Word personally and directly to the heart, Draper suggested, is to insert one’s own name into the verses of Scripture.

Draper further explained that believers must always seek God’s will and heart through prayer. “Be careful to always know what God says,” she said. “When you go to a church, make sure you’ve heard from God. God will always leave you and your husband in unity. … Make prayer a part of your life.”

Metochai is held monthly in Seelig Banquet Room in the Naylor Student Center. Free childcare is available for children ages 2 months through sixth grade upon prior reservation. For more information concerning childcare, contact Naylor Children’s Center at KRogers@swbts.edu or ext. 2970. For future Metochai dates, visit swbts.edu/events.