Meet Kaitlyn: Balcony woman + beloved neighbor

Meet Kaitlyn: Balcony woman + beloved neighbor by Joy Hulver

“Kaitlyn makes me fearless to love Jesus. She models what it means to follow God in how I think and what I do. I’m so grateful to have someone in my life that understands middle school and motivates me to want to make Godly choices.”

-Julia

Upon meeting Kaitlyn, you would never guess this gorgeous, soft-spoken, tender-hearted woman runs a small business, rocks a full-time job as a SEC accountant, is a newlywed and mentors her childhood neighbors on the side. Did we mention she graduated college a year early too? With great humility, Kaitlyn gives God all the glory for her success in life and it overflows into every corner of her world.

We were blessed to move next door to Kaityln’s family when she was just 11 years old. Desperate for help with my toddler twins, I asked Kaitlyn to baby-sit. And the rest is a beautiful story only God could write.

The past eleven years Kaitlyn has been a huge influence in the development of Julia & Olivia’s faith. She has spent countless hours mentoring them, cheering them on, boosting their confidence and helping them know their creator. 

What does this look like? One summer, it was discipling them and their friends in a bible study. Some days it’s taking them to Braum’s for ice cream. On Sundays, she helps Olivia with her tumbling. She uses their interests just to hang out. She bakes with them and laughs with them. She invests time in their schedules and seeks out ways to talk about Jesus without being awkward. She lets them shop in her closet and talk about anything. She does the significant-including them as junior bridesmaids in her wedding- and the insignificant-texts them for no reason at all. It’s this constant presence in their lives that assures them Kaitlyn can be trusted, she is for them and she is living proof of God’s faithfulness. 

According to LifeWay Research, “teens who had five or more adults from the church invest in them during the ages of 15 to 18 were less likely to leave the church after high school.”

Our family is blessed to have this magnetic balcony woman in our daughter’s lives. A beautiful outcome of having Kaitlyn in our lives is that Julia & Olivia are now serving the kids at our church on Sunday mornings. Without even knowing, Kaitlyn has equipped them to be balcony women for others. Proof that the actions of one person can have a domino effect on many.

“I look up to Kaitlyn. She encourages me and lets me know that God has a purpose for my life. Her love for Jesus is contagious and she helps me know he is worth everything.”

-Olivia

I thought I was gaining a babysitter eleven years ago.  How blessed I am that God had far greater plans in mind. 

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:20

*Kaitlyn’s mom, Melissa, is the founder of Balcony Woman and has been a mentor, friend and neighbor to me personally the past eleven years. You can see how being the hands and feet of Jesus has trickled down from generation to generation in her life. I often tell her she should write a book on how to raise a Godly daughter. She deserves her own blog as she has dedicated her life to serving widows. May we all be blessed to have a Melissa + Kaitlyn in our life!