I have been given a "house of women"
----with it, God forces me to constantly evaluate female relationships amongst one another.
I have noticed in a single day that we celebrate each other, we push one another past insecurity into success but, in being truthful, we also cut one another down, we judge one another, we measure and reward (how miserably truthful) ourselves based on another's limits. All this and just think, we are even family!!! And, most undeniably, we are also Human. With that, comes failure and a desperate need for Christ. I have found myself thankful for the times lately in this house of growing hormones when someone needs a "savior's pass" of grace. Because we are all starting to understand we ALL fail, we ALL succeed and we ALL hang on the thread of Jesus alone!!!
Up until recently, it's been pretty easy. Stick in a pretty colored hairbow, add a few mismatched ruffles, top it off with some sort of off-set shoes and they are all the rage for the cutest 'itty" female around.
Now, reality is quite different.
These little ladies are nothing more than a soft shell of skin covering a very real, needy, selfish, loving, giving, yearning...HEART. They each one realize there is something greater than nestling in around mommy and daddy and uttering some bedtime prayers, scripture memory and morning bible studies. Days have recently passed when I have witnessed them turn pale, stop dead in their tracks and murmer prayers because they see reality dead in the face. Nothing short of the mercy of Jesus can help them in the midst of exactly where they are.
These "little girls" are quickly becoming "little women."
I am pretty sure not a single one of the three of them even realizes it yet. I mean, come on...the oldest is off at church camp when a little boy she has never spoken to comes over and says to her (hold on and sit down, as her momma, I still want to drive to Kentucky and hunt him down, but, we are discussing grace, so here is goes)
"hey, uhm, did it hurt when you fell down from Heaven?'
I mean, at least he did choose an appropriate pick up line for a church camp but he just chose the wrong girl. She gave him a crazy look and ran away. (side note~her roommate was overly excited about this and told her momma first thing. Mine, oh, she "forgot" to mention it!) She cried when we talked about it. She didn't understand what it meant. She just isn't ready but her reality is delivering her there. She needs grace. I am happy to provide it when the world isn't. Her spirit is gentle and a bit behind. That's nothing to be ashamed of, but I am not a goofball, the world will quickly tell her it is every reason to feel left behind.
So, yes, little women they are becoming. But, so much more is tagged along with that title.
Women...why oh why do we build walls instead of huddle around the mess of crumbles we each truly are?
The Holy Spirit led me to read this today. It was beautiful. It stirred my heart which will lead to more action to come. But, first, He asked me to write. So, I as sit here with a huge void in my "house of little women" cause one is away, I realize the vast importance of each and everyONE of us play in delivery of one another directly to the foot of the cross.
So many times we hold one another there because of the pain.
BUT, what if instead we held one another there because of the GRACE.
"Perfectionism is slow death by self. Perfectionism will kill your skill, your spark, your art, your soul.
And I have no idea why all us "Your name" keep holding each other to a standard of perfection instead of letting us all be held by the arms of grace.
No idea why don’t we call a cease-fire to the constant women wars, stop the missile volley of judgement, subtle and not so subtle, that we hurl across the playgrounds and church foyers and back fences and front porches and screens at each other?
No idea why it’s taken me so long and why I keep forgetting:
Judging others is a blindfold. Judging others is a blindfold that blinds us to our own grime and blinds us to the grace which others are as eligible and entitled to as we are.
If I have loved breathing in grace for me, how can I deny you the same oxygen?
We are not here to be perfect. We are here to be real – to let Christ be real in us."
And I have no idea why all us "Your name" keep holding each other to a standard of perfection instead of letting us all be held by the arms of grace.
No idea why don’t we call a cease-fire to the constant women wars, stop the missile volley of judgement, subtle and not so subtle, that we hurl across the playgrounds and church foyers and back fences and front porches and screens at each other?
No idea why it’s taken me so long and why I keep forgetting:
Judging others is a blindfold. Judging others is a blindfold that blinds us to our own grime and blinds us to the grace which others are as eligible and entitled to as we are.
If I have loved breathing in grace for me, how can I deny you the same oxygen?
We are not here to be perfect. We are here to be real – to let Christ be real in us."
That is all there is, ladies. We are never, NOT A SINGLE ONE OF US, ever going to be perfect. Despite how we present ourselves at church on Sundays, how successful our professions are, how cute our "stuff" is, despite of how much bible knowledge we cling to...
~~~ONLY ONLY ONLY~~~
IN SPITE of the GRACE that saves us all!!!
Let's unlock freedom to be real amongst one another. Let's love past weakness, past successes, past embarrassment and without PERFECTION...
Little and big women everywhere~I love you!
(just because she is away this week and I can barely breathe without her home....because this is a pic of the night I told her about what God designed a woman to be and we giggled through so much of it that my heart will forever smile because of His goodness)
