In "other" Words

Today Joyfully Living is hosting this great memes! The quote she has chosen really speaks to my heart and convicts me that some of the decisions I have made lately are the right decisions!

"As Christian women, we must repudiate the world's agenda for women and seek to understand the Word's agenda for women... we must determine to be obedient to the Word of God no matter what is says, with no compromises. This is what is means to be a woman of the Word. We must find out what the Bible teaches about marriage, about children, about men and women and their roles, and then we must be obedient with no apologies, no matter what the cost. Is this radical Christianity? No. This is basic Christianity."

The Fruit of Her Hands, Nancy Wilson

Some background on myself, I had bought into the world's point of view about how a woman should be! When I married my husband 25 years ago, I wore the pants, hitched the belt and added steel toe shoes! I look back at that time and shake my head, standing amazed we made it through the first years of our marriage. I now know God has a plan for everything that happened to you!

It took a journey of about 17 years to realize I needed God as my pilot, not my co-pilot. During these years I took side trips to be with God, ones where things were still run my way. I now called myself a Christian woman in a worldly environment. I listened to women who talked about God's ways and read books that I liked reading because they told me what I wanted to hear! I just forgot to read the Bible and find out what God wanted me to be!

God never gave up on me. He patiently waited for me to open my arms and embrace Him. When I was ready, He guided me to a church full of women who lived Titus 2! He opened my eyes gently and with much love. I still battled him daily sometimes because at the same time He was grooming my husband to become the man he is today and frankly I didn't think God was doing that fast enough! Oh, how God must shake his head at me sometimes!

Finally, 2 years ago it was time for me to be put to the test. Would I stand up and not fall? I had been equipped this time with God's word, His wisdom, and the things Godly women had been teaching me. You see, God moved my family out of our comfort zone -- to a new town, a new job, a new homeschool group, a new church, you get the idea. For the first time, I really had the challenge of submitting to my husband with joy and love -- not grudgingly and mad. I am pleased to say, I passed that test. It was a hard one, but God saw me through!

Now, 2 years later God had another test for me. To examine my time and give up what He wanted me to. God wanted me to be focusing on His priorities, not my own. It was time to change my identity even more, to give up more of self and let Jesus shine through the cracks.

I am blessed that my husband is now truly the spiritual head of our home, I know without a doubt he submits to God and God's will. It is now time to let go of those last few things that the world has taught me, in how to be a woman. It is time to step out on faith, to be content in working with my husband in his ministries, to be content in being the mother I need to be and perhaps the hardest right now for me, to be content in being my dad's caregiver. I no longer need ministries of my own making, just the ones God has for me.

I had someone tell me that this all came about because I am becoming more mature. I sure feel like I'm taking baby-steps! This time though, I am hanging on to God's unchanging hand!