To the utter reaches of myself

I've been disturbed lately at the descriptions I've read of parenthood, motherhood, femininity, all things woman.  It's not the swimsuit magazines or the scantily clad women with airbushed bodies...it's the misguided perception of what women are, what motherhood is about and the value of all things "woman". 

For some time womanhood and femininity was championed by feminists as an equality issue.  Many women gathered under this umbrella to champion the cause of women...the rhetoric was centered around the idea that women should be paid the same as men and offered equal rights among other things, etc.  Sadly this degraded into the ideal that women should be a protected interest group of sorts and essentially reached to the other side of the balance beyond the idea of equality into the idea of women's rights. Much of "women's rights" center around reproductive interests.  The right to not be tied to a baby, the right to work and not feel bad about it, the right to have an abortion, the right to not be shackled for 9 months and 18 years thereafter.  This, of course, is the tip of the iceberg on both sides of the balance.

Where did we lose our way?  It's easy to go with the flow, hearing the redundant phrases of pro life, pro choice, the libertarian view versus the purported pro woman view and become desensitized.

I wonder...where are the women who know personally the depth and value of motherhood? When did a miraculous opportunity become shackles? 

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." - Ecclesiastes 3:11

I contend that these dark motives are a twisted work...one that takes the eternity set in our hearts and taints it with selfish pride all covered in false humility and hardship.  We long to be free...free of the desires that bring death and hardship...free from tears...free from the constraints of humanity.  We reach for it, thinking we can find it on our own.  Every time we come up short and unfulfilled.  We try to free ourselves from the bonds of pregnancy in a lie that it will make us free to live our lives as we please only to carry heartache and loss for the duration of our days.  We try to shout from the rooftops our equality only to realize the burden of carrying the weight intended for a man.  

I don't want to be a man..I don't want to contend with his abilities...I don't want to be free from the gift that is womanhood.

Pregnancy is not shackles...it is a miracle.  Being the less physically strong of the sexes?  (This means you don't carry refrigerators when you move...I mean...be my guest...but really). No man could be our equal in pregnancy or motherhood or femininity.  The sheer gift of pregnancy is the essence of femininity and the power of a woman.  The "weaker" sex is to be esteemed for a reason! We hold in our physical being the innate ability to nurture, grow and bring forth life!  Since when is this superpower something that holds us back?  Innate within our being is a unique ability to nurture, support and sway the opinions of our counterparts with perspectives they had not considered.  Equals? I don't think so.  Uniquely wonderful.

If we can harness the power we have been gifted with and honor the unique gifts of our counterparts we are a force to be reckoned with! Why do we run from the things that are most desirable about our form?  Is it any wonder that men are now pressured to be more gentle..more understanding and nurturing?  WE MISS WOMANHOOD! Society, the world and our families need our femininity.  No man can offer this though in our current society he will be socially rewarded by others for his unique gentleness.

We can reach to the depths and utter reaches of ourselves and capitalize on our uniqueness and bring forth life...not just in the literal sense but in the spiritual, in the relational and other places.  Women have a unique ability to give just a little more.  Push just a little harder....dig just a little deeper...stretch just a little farther.  It is not by accident....it is by design.

I challenge you as I am challenged to bring life to your family this Christmas season.  So many are discouraged and depressed and in need of relief.  The Bible says "Come to me you who are weary and I will give you rest..." Maybe you are someone's rest?  Take joy in it - there is no hardship in blessing another.  You will find depth of joy and empowerment. You will find stillness and strength in using what God gave you and not trying to be free of it.  It is a gift!!  Bringing rest and peace and beauty doesn't require money.  It only requires you. 

More on this topic later :)