I think a fundamental misunderstanding about women striving to live by Biblical principles is that they have to somehow be very much the same. As in, their lives should look the same. It’s so funny when you stop and think about different women that you admire for their dedication to God, family, work and life, how you admire them for different reasons.
There’s my lovely sister-in-law, who is one of the most delightful people I’ve ever met and who manages to brighten up every room she enters. She stays home with her two beautiful kids and keeps them happy and entertained and takes care of their home. She has a fairly traditional role, as Christian women go, and yet has the same viewpoint as I do in that women should be appreciated for their individual contributions and not judged by those who might choose a different path. It’s very refreshing to talk with her about these issues because though our lives look different in many ways, our foundation is solidly on the same page.
There’s my friend Laura who, along with her husband, has an escalating career that she enjoys. They both work outside the home, and yet it is obvious how happy and well adjusted their daughter is. Laura is a fabulous cook and leaves work every day to make a great dinner for their family (and their daughter eats what they eat, which amazes me – no mac and cheese or fish sticks in that house!). Her husband was recently moved to London and she did not hesitate to move their family there, because it was a great opportunity for his career. It took some time and some understanding bosses to make her career work out there as well, but she considered it well worth the effort. Their children (they have #2 on the way) will grow up having lived in another country and learning that there is a lot of culture and many great experiences to be had outside the U.S.
There’s my cousin who has worked on and off while raising her 5 children, and is currently homeschooling the school-aged ones while caring for the younger ones at the same time. Their family is involved in ministries and missions and is very close, not only with their nuclear family but with our large extended family as well.
There’s our friend from church who has two children and a successful career as a partner in a local law firm. Her husband is a teacher, and stayed home with their oldest child for nearly her first two years of life. (This, by the way, is another example of how I think dads don’t get nearly enough credit in the “traditional” Christian family model). They too are a happy family because they worked out their lives and routines in the way that made the most sense for them as unique people, while at the same time remaining committed what is really important as Christians.
I would say, for all these women, their worth is far above jewels.
amy | 03-Sep-07 at 10:25 am | Permalink
first..you are precious.
second…i can’t help but wonder why this mentality is so prevalent in the church. but i don’t think it is exclusively ours. since kindergarten we’ve grown up in a world where we want to be like everyone else…very few are brave enough to step out of the crowd and go against the “norm.” and who sets the “norm” anyway? from wanting the same cool backpack and lunchbox as our classmates to looking and acting a certain way in highschool as to acquire the “right” label. if only it ended there upon graduation. keeping up with the joneses has become what other countries think of when they think of ours. which seems very strange to me when we were originally founded on a need to step out and go against the current grain.
in church culture at least, i think that we are stuck in a pattern. this is not limited to roles in the home by any means, but it does solicit a lot of attention. as with the rest of it my personal opinion is that we as a church, a Body are only at its best when we are embracing our uniquenesses. isn’t there a verse that speaks of a body being made up of many different parts? (lol..sorry, scripture memory isn’t my forte yet) it’s only when we all see our indivdualities as boundless potential instead of a constant need to “fit in” or “be in” that this Body performs the function it was intended to. there ARE millions of different people in this world in need of faith..of hope. and SAH moms and men who bring home the bacon won’t be able to connect to them all.
what an awesome reminder to BE who we were created to be…and not play a part predetermined by a former generation. Jesus came to bring life to all of us…not conform us to anything. pretty sure He was passionately against those spouting that sort of thing when He was around. thanks em.