On Womanhood

Last night, I attended my first woman's group and when I say "my first" I don't mean of this particular group, I mean the first woman's group of my lifetime (well, except for Brownies, Girl Scouts, and sorority, but still ..., you get the picture, lol).

I've always stayed away from anything that was segregated into men and women because I felt like it pigeon-holed me into a category or stereotype that I've fought against for as long as I can remember. Growing up in the 60's and 70's, the Women's Movement was a huge influence on my life. Even though I was a child, I was completely aware of the idea of equal rights and that women were treated differently, and had fewer opportunities, so I did everything I could to break the mold, and defied anything that was specifically for women. I'm beginning to realize that I probably missed out on a lot by taking it to the extreme.

A few years ago, "Menopause the Musical" came to Dayton and my mother and I went to see it. That was such an unusual, almost powerful feeling being in the midst of all those women. Only a handful of men attended, so it was basically a packed house of women. Watching the musical, I realized that there is something to this sisterhood,... we have experiences and issues and problems and joys that only we, as women, can understand.

God never intended women to be just like men. His intention was to provide man with a partner for life.

As Matthew Henry wrote:

“Women were created from the rib of man to be beside him, 

not from his head to top him, 

nor from his feet to be trampled by him, 

but from under his arm to be protected by him, 

near to his heart to be loved by him.”

Matthew Henry, An Exposition of the Old and New Testament

...to be continued...(hopefully)