Priscilla Shirer Reflects on Late Cousin Wynter Pitts' Powerful 'Spiritual Legacy' for Her Daughters
One year after the tragic and sudden death of girls ministry founder Wynter Pitts, her well-known cousin Priscilla Shirer is reflecting on the loss of her close friend and family member as well as the impact she's having now on young lives, even after her passing.
Wynter was a mother of four young girls, (ages 10, 10, 12, and 15) as well as being an author, speaker and founder of the Christ-centered magazine For Girls Like You. Now her final work has just been published titled I Am Yours: Prayers for God's Girl.
A Well-Known Christian Family
Wynter, 38, passed away suddenly on July 24, 2018. She was the mother of actress Alena Pitts, who played the role of Danielle Jordan in the hit faith-based film "War Room." Wynter was the niece of Dr. Tony Evans, the founder and senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas. She was married to husband Jonathan Pitts for 15 years. Jonathan serves as the executive pastor at the Church of the City in Franklin, TN.
Shirer, Pitts' cousin, is a well-known Bible teacher in her own right who just starred in the faith-based hit movie 'Overcomer.' She writes about Wynter's final work in an Instagram post and how it's intended to teach young girls how to communicate with God on a personal level.
"When my cousin and best friend Wynter (@forgirlslikeyou) passed away last year, she was in the process of completing what would be...her final book. And today, that book releases to the world. I Am Yours is a book of prayers for young girls - to help them learn how to build a conversational life with God. It was my privilege to write the forward to this resource because I know that it will help equip your daughters, granddaughters, nieces, sisters to become mighty prayer warriors."
"It's like Wynter left her last will and testament on paper, writing out her spiritual legacy in thoughtful, beautiful prayers for her four beautiful girls....and for yours."
The For Girls Like You ministry that Pitts founded also posted an Instagram tribute to Wynter, describing her final work:
"Inside its pages are the final words of a woman who knew why she was placed on this earth. Wynter lived content in this life. She carried herself with a peace and calm about the past, present and future. But she had one Holy discontent. God place it inside of her for her daughters.
She wanted them to know that the story of God was a bigger story than they ever imagined. She desperately wanted them to discover that His story is the only one worth telling and living into.
She wanted them to see the life and Good News of Jesus Christ as one that made a massive difference in her own story and one that would guarantee a different life for them.
She wanted them to fully grasp...how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that they may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
When she leaned into her purposes on earth by way of that Holy discontent, she was able to compile an arsenal of resources for her girls and yours. She set out on a path to reach her four girls and God would give her countless more spiritual daughters that will forever hear her words reverberating in their head."
The Rough Road Continues
Despite their family's strong faith in Christ, it has understandably been a very rough road for the four daughters of Wynter Pitts. Her daughter Alena posted about her painful struggles last month on the anniversary of losing her mother:
"In the past 12 months i've: lost a lot. learned a lot. cried a lot. prayed a lot. doubted a lot. smiled a lot. faked a lot. laughed a lot. yelled a lot. re-lived a lot. i've done it all. every single emotion possible, i've felt it all at some point in these past 12 months. it's been one of the toughest weeks i've had in a while. just yesterday my eyes were swollen from crying so hard. but just this morning my stomach hurt from laughing so hard. up and down up and down. this is the pattern of life. i've learned there's nothing i can do about it. but believe it or not, throughout these ups and downs, a constant has remained: God. although, to be quite honest, God seems extremely far and silent right now, He is here. He is with me. despite my many doubts, He is guiding me."
And Wynter's husband Jonathan recently posted: "You eternally shaped my life, Wynter Danielle. I'll spend the rest of my life thanking God for the season He gave me with you. Though the season is over, the harvest from it will be growing in the hearts of the countless people your life touched."
"Your daughters are walking, talking, singing and joyful testaments of your life. We miss you daily but have full confidence we will see you soon. Until then, we remember you and we worship a God, namely Jesus Christ, who knows exactly what He is doing," he said.
