What Being A Woman Means To Me

A blogger friend, SelahV, has written a post about being a woman today. She has shared some excellent thoughts on her blog. I encourage everyone to go read it here.

I'm going to attempt to answer her question here on my blog. She asks: what does being a woman mean to you?

My story is much like Selah's story. I grew up confused about what it meant to be woman too. I was somewhat of a tomboy growing up. Loved to be outdoors climbing trees and playing in the mud. My mother was very feminine. I admired her feminine ways, and really wanted to be like her.

It's a bit of stretch for my memory now, but I'm pretty sure girls had to wear dresses when I was going to elementary school. I remember wearing shorts under my dress, but I don't ever remember wearing anything but dresses to grade school. I was thinking maybe that was just our family policy, but, as I think back, I remember sometime in Jr. high when they started allowing girls to wear pants to school. My parents were very against that, but the ole peer pressure won out, and my sister and I were soon allowed to wear pants to school. I also remember the next step when girls were allowed to wear blue jeans to school. Slowly but surely we were all becoming generic looking. The boys had long hair, and the girls were wearing jeans.

It seems like nothing compared to what goes on today. I was thinking just the other day how clothes for girls these days are so revealing and tight. Some of the clothes look like underclothing. And, there's the boys, they're covered from head to toe with huge baggy clothing. You can't hardly even tell there's a body in there sometimes. What is wrong with this picture? The enemy knows that men are visual. It's not that men need to be running around half naked either, but that wouldn't have near the effect on society as half naked women does.

Back to what being a woman means to me. Growing up during the women's lib movement, I was very confused about what a woman's role is. I spent many years trying to be the woman society said I should be. It wasn't until I asked the Lord what He created me to be, that I found peace.

The Lord brought me home, out of the workforce I had been in for over 20 yrs. He eventually led my husband and I to bring our son home, out of the Public School system, and teach him at home. If you had told me five years before that, that is where I'd be, I would have said you were nuts! But, when we ask the Lord what He created us to be, and we are totally serious about wanting to know, we may be surprised! I wasn't sure about coming home. I was even less sure about homeschooling our son. The only thing I was sure about is that is what God wanted me to do. I acted out of obedience. Seven years later, I can't believe I almost missed one of the most blessed journeys of my life!

I love being at home. I love being a wife and a stay at home, homeschool mom. I love the friends the Lord brings into my life. I love being a woman. The woman God created me to be.

Staying on the Path

It's winter here in Oklahoma. Really winter, not the spring-like winters we've experienced in the past. The sun is shining today though, and I wanted to go outside for a short walk. It was a bit tricky to stay on my walking path because it's covered in snow right now.

When weather permits, I like to go walking outdoors. Not only is it great exercise, I have found it to be good for my spirit too. The Lord and I have a lot of good talks on my walks, and I also pray for others while I'm walking.

A few years ago, I began walking in our large backyard instead of down our road. The walks were becoming more of a drudgery than enjoyment as our road became more like a mini highway, and traffic seemed to be moving faster and faster. Not very peaceful for walking, or for my nerves.

We have a couple of acres of land, so I would be taking my walks on the back acre, which wasn't very tame at the time. My son and I had done a lot of nature studies back there, and really enjoyed exploring there, but, I wasn't quite sure how my walking routine would work when I first began. It was a bit of an obstacle course in the beginning, but, over time, as I walked the same route each day, a path began to emerge. Most days my son would join me, and in some areas our paths began to resemble tire tracks. Almost like a four-wheeler had been making the path.

We throughly enjoyed our walks and talks. Even the dogs, sometimes the cats too, would go with us. It became a routine thing, everyone looked forward to the walks. As my son got older, and our schedules changed, he didn't join me as much on the walks. One day when we were walking together, he noticed that his path wasn't as clear anymore. Since he hadn't been following it as often, the grass was starting to grow over it in some places. That reminded me of how following the Lord can be.

As we read and study the bible, pray and spend time with the Lord, His will for us becomes clearer. But, when we neglect spending time with Him, and in His word, it becomes harder for us to see the path He's leading us on. We get off the path, and can go in directions that aren't in His will for us at all. My son and I talked about these things and how important it is for us to stay on the path.

I also had another thought as we noticed how in some areas our paths became one, and in others, they were separated a lot, usually by a large tree or pile of brush. That reminded me of how our walk with the Lord can be. The more we study His word, pray and spend time with Him, the closer our walk with Him will be. At times, we will be as one, His will becomes my will.

Being human, I know I won't be in God's will at all times, but my desire is to seek His will in everything, and to walk with Him as closely as possible. I want to stay on the path, His perfect path for me.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6