First Ladies' Diaries: Interview with Sis. Laura Grindle

We are so excited to have pastor's wife, Laura Grindle, with us today! As a young pastor's wife and mother, she has a lot of wisdom to share with other young women in ministry or aspiring to be in ministry. She and her husband not only serve as Pastor and wife of their local church, but also as UPCI Texas District Youth President and are the parents to four precious children. Sis. Grindle, welcome and thank you for joining us today!

At what church/city are you a pastor's wife, and how long have you been there?
We recently celebrated 8 years of pastoring Calvary Tabernacle in Alto, TX.

What are some things you love about being a pastor's wife?
You mean besides the pastor?? :D

I love helping people grow spiritually and watching marriages and families thrive together. This process is even more amazing as we’ve pastored the same church now for 8 years.

Growing up, what did you imagine yourself doing with your life? Would you ever have imagined yourself being a pastor's wife?
Being a pastor’s wife was definitely not on the radar growing up! I had aspirations to stay in my hometown, attend the local university, and receive a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing..... None of which happened! HA! God took MY plans and completely rearranged them. 

If you could go back and give your teenaged/young 20's self a piece of wisdom, what would that be?
Be yourself! God has created a beautiful you with unique qualities. The world would be such a boring place if we were all exactly the same. 

What is your favorite Bible scripture?
Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)- Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

What are some nuggets of wisdom you'd love to share with Apostolic young women?
You can be pretty and be holy. Don’t trade apostolic distinctiveness in an attempt to fit in with secular culture. 

What one piece of advice would you pass on to a new pastor's wife?
Some things will truly only come by prayer and fasting. If you can learn that early on, you will be the enemy's worst nightmare and change the world! 

Are there any successes, struggles, or defeats you've faced as a pastor's wife that you feel our readers could learn from?
One of the biggest struggles we faced was starting out young. We had to learn how to gain people’s trust and, in some cases, forgive people when they reacted negatively. 

Do you ever get tired or burned out from ministry? If so, how do you handle that?
Absolutely! For me, it’s having a good talk (aka venting) with my husband or a dear friend. (If you’re going to do that - they need to be ENCOURAGERS!!!!) There are seasons and times that we have learned to disconnect by getting out of town for a few days. 

Are there any books (besides the Bible!) that you'd recommend that you've found helpful as a pastor's wife or in your walk with God?
•Being a Minister’s Wife and Being Yourself (Nancy Pannell)

•Heaven to Earth (Anthony Mangun)

•The Birth Order Book (Dr. Kevin Leman)

If you had a day free where you could do anything you wanted, what would that be?
Laying on the beach with a good book. 

Tell us a few of your favorite things!
I am a coffee and sushi lover! Give me a big antique store to shop in, and I’m a happy girl. 

How do you balance ministry and being a mom of 4 young children? 
We have different “busy seasons” during the year. Some months or weeks are more busy than others, and we explain that to our children. They are (most of the time) happy to come along for the ride!
In this season of life, I am a stay at home mommy to 4 angels! They are my top priority.

Thank you again, Sis. Grindle! Readers, on social media, tag a young minister's wife or friend feeling the call to ministry. She'll want to read this interview!