"Your body is the first thing any child of man ever wanted. Therefore dispose yourself to be loved, to be wanted, to be available. Be there for them with a vengeance. Be a gracious, bending woman. Incline your ear, your heart, your hands to them.... To be a Mother is to be the sacrament - the effective symbol - of place. Mothers do not make homes, they are our home." from Bed and Board, Robert Farrar Capon
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Why does God give women brains?
I just wanted to post this article up over here too in case you didn't get a chance to read it yet.
My favorite part: Other people can sing. Other people can shrink government... - And they will. But no one else can be your kids' mom. Fulfilling the tasks associated with that office is something you can always do in good conscience--unlike those other things, which leave the nagging worry in the back of your mind about what in your kid's life you're missing while you're off doing them.
Ahh, peace in my everyday vocation. Seems I need to hear this many times a day! Thanks again Leah.
The part - Isn't it bad stewardship for me not to cultivate and make use of my talents? For the glory of God, of course? - has eaten away at me way too many times. Just about the time I would finally find contentment in being home and being happy about it, this nagging voice would say, "Ah, but perhaps you're just taking the easy way out, settling in to your own little house, with your own little kiddies, not doing the important stuff like 'spreading the gospel, making disciples,' carrying out the great mandate and all." That thought could get me to doubt more than anything else.
But now I think differently.
Wait, making disciples? What do I call these six little future men and women of the church living with me right now? Am I supposed to go do something else, like teach other people's kids so that other people will have to teach my kids so other people will have to teach my kids' teachers' kids, and all the while everyone feels "important" for dumping off the hardest part - the "invisible" part - the real discipleship-training-boot-camp within your own home - onto someone else???
And little nagging voice? As to the staying home and teaching, training, caring for my own children being "taking the easy way out?!" I'm too polite to say what you can go do with yourself...
My favorite part:
ReplyDeleteOther people can sing. Other people can shrink government... - And they will. But no one else can be your kids' mom. Fulfilling the tasks associated with that office is something you can always do in good conscience--unlike those other things, which leave the nagging worry in the back of your mind about what in your kid's life you're missing while you're off doing them.
Ahh, peace in my everyday vocation. Seems I need to hear this many times a day! Thanks again Leah.
The part -
ReplyDeleteIsn't it bad stewardship for me not to cultivate and make use of my talents? For the glory of God, of course? -
has eaten away at me way too many times. Just about the time I would finally find contentment in being home and being happy about it, this nagging voice would say, "Ah, but perhaps you're just taking the easy way out, settling in to your own little house, with your own little kiddies, not doing the important stuff like 'spreading the gospel, making disciples,' carrying out the great mandate and all." That thought could get me to doubt more than anything else.
But now I think differently.
Wait, making disciples? What do I call these six little future men and women of the church living with me right now? Am I supposed to go do something else, like teach other people's kids so that other people will have to teach my kids so other people will have to teach my kids' teachers' kids, and all the while everyone feels "important" for dumping off the hardest part - the "invisible" part - the real discipleship-training-boot-camp within your own home - onto someone else???
And little nagging voice? As to the staying home and teaching, training, caring for my own children being "taking the easy way out?!" I'm too polite to say what you can go do with yourself...