Femininity
I am reading this book Captivity by Stasi and John Eldridge and needless to say it is really making me think. I have come to find that there are several points in the book I am not sure I agree with and several examples she gives that which I know I can't relate. She is a married women with children who struggles with depression and grew up in a home where a clean house and a meal on the table meant you where a good wife. I am not a wife, don't struggle with depression and grew up in a home where I was told I can do anything a man can do and was encouraged to work on my career so I don't have to "depend on a man". I am sure I can't relate... and I am exploring more than usual what is it to be a women of God and what it looks like to be feminine...a women.
I have thought in the past how do I, as a women, live my life trying to mimic Christ... to be "independent", yet dependent on my community and Christ, be strong yet gentle. It has been an interesting journey seeking women of great spiritual maturity to try to learn from. All of the women who have discipled or are discipling me are all different, have varying gifts and strengths but are all feminine in there own way.
I know young women my age who wake up and put a thick layer of make-up on (no matter where she is going...even to work out). [These girls]*edited* love pink and always wear skirts. I know [others]*edited* who barely own make-up, hate pink and wouldn't be caught dead in a skirt. I have girlfriends who love to cook, get monthly pedicures and cry at AT&T commercials... others that feel nautious entering a grocery store, spend there saturdays hiking and climbing rocks and can remember maybe crying 3-4 times in there life. I know some who go gahgah over the face of a toddler and still others that freeze when caught in the same room as one. All equally powerful women of God, holy, wise and graceful...all equally feminine in there own right.
So what is it to be feminine? With such a wide, complicated range of emotional tendency and character to choose from...no wonder they call us the more complicated of the sexes. I hate to think that there are women that feel that there idea of femininity is wrong or feel ashamed because they feel or act a certain way. Or that there are women who are afraid to share that they WANT to feel beautiful, they want to be saught after and desired. I hate to think that I feel that way sometimes...ashamed of a feeling that is O.K and natural!
How beautifully colored are the children of God...the women of God...How amazing a God that would create people the way He did to display such a variety and vast number of his glorious characterisitcs. Praise Him! I pray I display as many of those characteristics as He has blessed me with and that I am not ashamed of them. I pray, also, that I become more confident in my femininity and who I am as a women in Christ...whatever that means :)
I have thought in the past how do I, as a women, live my life trying to mimic Christ... to be "independent", yet dependent on my community and Christ, be strong yet gentle. It has been an interesting journey seeking women of great spiritual maturity to try to learn from. All of the women who have discipled or are discipling me are all different, have varying gifts and strengths but are all feminine in there own way.
I know young women my age who wake up and put a thick layer of make-up on (no matter where she is going...even to work out). [These girls]*edited* love pink and always wear skirts. I know [others]*edited* who barely own make-up, hate pink and wouldn't be caught dead in a skirt. I have girlfriends who love to cook, get monthly pedicures and cry at AT&T commercials... others that feel nautious entering a grocery store, spend there saturdays hiking and climbing rocks and can remember maybe crying 3-4 times in there life. I know some who go gahgah over the face of a toddler and still others that freeze when caught in the same room as one. All equally powerful women of God, holy, wise and graceful...all equally feminine in there own right.
So what is it to be feminine? With such a wide, complicated range of emotional tendency and character to choose from...no wonder they call us the more complicated of the sexes. I hate to think that there are women that feel that there idea of femininity is wrong or feel ashamed because they feel or act a certain way. Or that there are women who are afraid to share that they WANT to feel beautiful, they want to be saught after and desired. I hate to think that I feel that way sometimes...ashamed of a feeling that is O.K and natural!
How beautifully colored are the children of God...the women of God...How amazing a God that would create people the way He did to display such a variety and vast number of his glorious characterisitcs. Praise Him! I pray I display as many of those characteristics as He has blessed me with and that I am not ashamed of them. I pray, also, that I become more confident in my femininity and who I am as a women in Christ...whatever that means :)
posted by Jenn | 10:59 AM
5 Comments:
um . . . jenn?
it's called "captivATING"
:D
:-) thanks for the laugh. I knew what book she was referring too and missed it as well.
Yes, I missed it as well! I will leave it there and charge my "fear" of appearing stupid head on! Thank you for laughing!:-)
I read this book from Eldridge called, "Wild at Hell." Great book if that were the title... Put your
charge aside, and do the book justice. I say if you read a book, then gosh darn it... Remember the name! *LMAO*
Hey Christina,
Wow, Very cool that that is your name. My friends name is actually Christina Dehring (now Ogden...she just got married) My name is Jennifer Stephenson. Maybe we are related in some far stretched way. You can check out my brothers blog (Mark Stephenson) at chappy711.blogspot.com We Stephensons are a huge clan and it is always very cool to meet another Stephenson. I would love to get your perspective on Captivating.
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