I was reading the post from Christine Sine’s about Standing With All The Women Of The World and was at first challenged by how all of us, men and women, have happily accepted King David, from the Bible, as a murderer but very rarely referred to him as a rapist, which is what he did with Bathsheba. The young woman did not stand a chance.
Christine ends by asking
Now prayerfully consider your own response, firstly to Mary Magdalene and Bathsheba, then to women in your life. Are there misconceptions in your views of them? Are there ways in which you discriminate against women by not treating them as equals?
I know I can be guilty of not so much discriminating but of not praising other women. I am amazed by so many. My first reason for writing was to honour Christine and all the work she does with Godspace and the challenges she does.
I then thought of other women who do things but felt that this is where we can go wrong – and a direction I am trying to let go of – and I want to honour the women who just are –
- my QEC coach, who is cutting back more and more, who shows that you can trust that there will be enough by just doing what you are called to do.
- my daughter who has been an independent lady from the age of 19 when she left home for university. She’s had her ups and downs but at no point has she come back to live at home.
- my friend who felt called to leave her home here, nurse her parents until they passed away, and now is rebuilding her life up here, is supporting her son who is between jobs at the mo, but does it all without complaining, and is always there.
- another friend who walked out of a toxic relationship and has slowly been rebuilding her life
- my mum who had to put her husband into a care home because he has Parkinsons and she was big enough to say she couldn’t cope, and is now doing a major make-over on her house and being willing to pay people to do what she can’t do. She is an amazing example of knowing one’s limitations
I know there are many many more I could list who do great things, who say challenging and encouraging things, who write great/interesting/challenging/funny/all of the above on their blogs, who are just there, those who help me to be the best me I can be.
I also want to make sure that from now on I let the women in my life know how great I see them and how I couldn’t be fully me without them.
[An aside – I’ve always struggled with David and the whole thing of him being man after God’s own heart – or is that a male intervention and not a divine thing??? – a thought for another blog maybe?? And whilst I’m on the thought – how many women have been labelled as being a woman after God’s heart???]
Aspirational Adventures 