If you've been reading along here for a while, you won't be surprised by my thoughts below. I'm a traditionalist in many things, and what I refer to as a "true feminist." I believe women and men of all races and nations and colors and socio-economic statuses and abilities are created in the image of God. Every life from the tiniest preborn baby to the oldest person in the nursing home is sacred, because we are His image-bearers. Every life is sacred because every person has an eternal soul. Every life should be treated equally under the law, and every life valued equally. That does not mean that men and women have to do everything equally. It is okay for men to be inclined toward some interests and women inclined toward another. That doesn't make men better than women any more than it makes women better than men. It just means we are all people who are gifted by our Creator in different ways and it is our job to be wise stewards of God's good gifts.
But as a mother of three girls I want them to know that it is okay to embrace your femininity. The Lord has filled your heart with a desire to nurture and guide and given you a love for beauty and that is a good thing. Do not disregard the gifts of our gracious God who loves you. You represent something that is quickly disappearing in our world. It is painful for me to meet some women (not all of them, but some) who work with my husband and witness their brashness and hear the crass words that come pouring out of their beautiful mouths. I have no respect for men or women who cannot express themselves without profanity (see, I warned you I was a traditionalist).
I want my girls to know that yes, you can be anything you want to be. But no, you cannot do it all. All the best gifts require sacrifice. Remember the stories Jesus told about the treasure and the pearl?
Matthew 13:44-46 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it."
Yes, you can study hard and become the best in your chosen field. But it may not leave you time to be the wife your husband needs or the mother your children need. It is okay for you to decide that the Lord has called you to put others first in your life and set your own plans aside, for a season or forever. Your Daddy and I chose to do that for you. Daddy is a great lawyer and he could move to a more prestigious city and work much longer hours and make a lot more money, but he wants to be home for dinner every night and come to your ballet recitals and coach your brother's baseball team and teach your Sunday School class. Mama considered several careers but decided that what she really wanted was to be a mom who genuinely enjoyed her children and spent her days with them. I didn't want to have babies and then hand them off to someone else to raise until they were old enough to be sent to school for someone else to teach. Is it a sacrifice for us to make these choices? In some ways, yes. But being your Mama and Daddy and raising you to know and love the Lord is more valuable than any other career we could choose. So when it is time for you to choose a career, I want you to think long and hard about it. I don't want you to be locked in to a particular path because you've taken on a ton of debt. Pray for guidance, find what and who you love, and be wise.
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