It is hard to believe one of the hardest seasons is coming to a close. It is also hard to believe that my life is taking a giant change- again. I am truly just avoiding studying and packing because who truly wants to do those things? We received our schedule for our final week and I really wish I could just take my exam tomorrow and be done. My patience is...nonexistent.
I took some time to process on Friday and I came up with this question: what does it look like to be a godly woman in a room full of, well, women?
I am disappointed in myself as I look back at these last few months. I have allowed myself to be poorly and, in turn, justified in treating others poorly. I have not walked away from gossip; I have not loved to my fullest capacity. I have not been who I know myself to be. It hits me in the gut and makes me fall to my knees in repentance every time.
So what does it look like? I have had three days to completely ignore this question and I think I have done pretty well at it, but now it will not leave my head. What do godly women look like?
I was processing this yesterday with a dear friend and started joking around with her- who do we even look at? Eve ate the stinking fruit; Bathsheba slept with the king; Sarai allowed her husband to lie and give half-truths. Ruth married a man that is traditionally old enough to be her grandpa; WHO DO WE LOOK AT? Mary, Martha, other Mary? I had fun with it, but I was also slightly serious.
A godly woman looks like a good number of people I know, actually. (Mind you, I have yet to do a Bible study on this.) Being a godly woman looks something like Jesus, only female..right? Here's what I have (and feel free to comment your own thoughts).
A godly woman is soft. Not in the doormat kind of way, but in the way that expresses more than empathy. She will express her empathy, but she is also not so jaded that people wonder if they will still be accepted afterward. She is not hard, but exposes her own humanness in the midst of pain and heartache.
A godly woman is humble. She is not a showboat. She is not one that people wonder if she is being arrogant versus confident. She speaks with confidence and leaves the rest a mystery. Confidence with humility sounds very different than confidence tinged with pride.
A godly woman knows her work and does it with excellence. I think of Lydia, the seller of purple linens in Acts and founder of the church in Philippi. As a doula/ birth assistant/ midwife, there is an understanding that midwifery is an art. There are no hard and fast rules about home birth care. Where one midwife would do it this way another is saying no way, this way. Either way it is done, it should be done in excellence.
A godly woman is safe. Refraining from gossip, refraining from criticizing and making others feel inferior. She is unassuming and and safe place to land in the chaos.
A godly woman takes care of herself so that she can take care of others. She gets full, so that she can pour out. She knows her limits and is not afraid of them.
What are other things you can think of? How do you be a witness in a room full of people without speaking a word?
I took some time to process on Friday and I came up with this question: what does it look like to be a godly woman in a room full of, well, women?
I am disappointed in myself as I look back at these last few months. I have allowed myself to be poorly and, in turn, justified in treating others poorly. I have not walked away from gossip; I have not loved to my fullest capacity. I have not been who I know myself to be. It hits me in the gut and makes me fall to my knees in repentance every time.
So what does it look like? I have had three days to completely ignore this question and I think I have done pretty well at it, but now it will not leave my head. What do godly women look like?
I was processing this yesterday with a dear friend and started joking around with her- who do we even look at? Eve ate the stinking fruit; Bathsheba slept with the king; Sarai allowed her husband to lie and give half-truths. Ruth married a man that is traditionally old enough to be her grandpa; WHO DO WE LOOK AT? Mary, Martha, other Mary? I had fun with it, but I was also slightly serious.
A godly woman looks like a good number of people I know, actually. (Mind you, I have yet to do a Bible study on this.) Being a godly woman looks something like Jesus, only female..right? Here's what I have (and feel free to comment your own thoughts).
A godly woman is soft. Not in the doormat kind of way, but in the way that expresses more than empathy. She will express her empathy, but she is also not so jaded that people wonder if they will still be accepted afterward. She is not hard, but exposes her own humanness in the midst of pain and heartache.
A godly woman is humble. She is not a showboat. She is not one that people wonder if she is being arrogant versus confident. She speaks with confidence and leaves the rest a mystery. Confidence with humility sounds very different than confidence tinged with pride.
A godly woman knows her work and does it with excellence. I think of Lydia, the seller of purple linens in Acts and founder of the church in Philippi. As a doula/ birth assistant/ midwife, there is an understanding that midwifery is an art. There are no hard and fast rules about home birth care. Where one midwife would do it this way another is saying no way, this way. Either way it is done, it should be done in excellence.
A godly woman is safe. Refraining from gossip, refraining from criticizing and making others feel inferior. She is unassuming and and safe place to land in the chaos.
A godly woman takes care of herself so that she can take care of others. She gets full, so that she can pour out. She knows her limits and is not afraid of them.
What are other things you can think of? How do you be a witness in a room full of people without speaking a word?
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