Now that I have two daughters I am becoming increasingly more aware of gender issues in our culture and in the church. I’m also more aware than ever about how women continue to be oppressed in our country and around the world. My eyes have been opened to the fact that women are just as oppressed now as in years past.
Category: women’s issues
-
Modesty, Your Body, and a Privilege to be Earned
The first time I thought about modesty was a few years ago. The subject took to the blog-world and everyone started debating it. Before that modesty was a non-issue in my life. My style never allowed me to really push the limits with immodest clothes. I’m more of a Banana Republic girl myself – clean, classic, timeless. Modesty is just not one of my struggles, even though I can name a dozen other areas that take its place.
Then I had my baby girl. When you have a baby you begin to think the most bizarre thoughts you never even considered before. Suddenly the gap between “maybe acceptable” and “not-at-all acceptable” tightens. This happened for me when I went to buy her first swimsuit.
Image courtesy of Serge Bertasius Photography/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net -
Brave is the Woman Who Bears Her Unplanned Baby {Five Minute Friday}
It’s that time again. Time to join The Gypsy Mama – Lisa-Jo Baker – and several other writers to write for five minutes on a certain topic. Today’s topic is Brave. This post comes from the depths of my heart. I am in a season of deep grieving for aborted babies right now. Brave is the woman who makes a different choice. You are the bravest woman I know.
I do not have any inkling of what it is like to carry an unplanned baby. I will not even attempt to describe that feeling except to say there must be fear. There must be uncertainty.
But when I held my own first-born for the first time I had a glimpse of what it might feel like for someone to come by and take her out of my arms. For permanent. The thought made the tears well, my stomach knot, even fighting gloves come on.
I thought about all those women – those brave women – who make the choice to bear their unplanned babies only to have someone take them away – for good.
Brave.
Those women who selflessly lay their own ridicule, belittlement, and shame aside to deliver into this world the soul placed within them when they could have made a different choice.
Brave.
Those women who for nine months endure the glares, listen to the lectures, stand in the face of the unknown knowing that they can’t provide in nine months but there’s Someone who can.
Brave.
Then I think of Mary. Wasn’t she one of these women? Sure, the circumstances were different, but were the feelings not the same? One thing that she had further against her was an even more relentless culture. But she trusted. She trusted God.
Brave.
For any woman who decides to bear an unplanned baby only to give him to someone else to hear the coos and see the smiles and smell the sweet baby breath, you are brave.
For any woman who decides to bear an unplanned baby only to keep her not knowing how you will provide, not knowing where the food will come from, not knowing if you’ll be safe, you are brave.
You are brave for taking the more fearful path. You are brave for not accepting a quick fix. You are brave for taking responsibility. You are brave for looking head-on past this temporal world and into eternity. You are brave because you trust. You are the strongest kind-of-a-woman I know.
You are brave.
