“The special gift and ability
of each creature defines its special limitations. And as the bird easily comes
to terms with the necessity of bearing wings when it finds that it is, in fact,
the wings that bear the bird -- up, away from the world, into the sky, into
freedom -- so the woman who accepts the limitations of womanhood finds in those
very limitations her gifts, her special calling -- wings, in fact, which bear
her up into perfect freedom, into the will of God.” ~ Elisabeth Elliot (Let me
be a Woman)
I’m emotional every day of the
month, but there are some days that I am more emotional than others. I used to
get really upset with myself when I would have emotional outbursts. I used to
get so frustrated when I would be bothered by what people said or what people
felt about me. I would wonder why I couldn’t be more like my brothers and my
other friends. Why oh why did I always have to take things so personally?
There was the day when I got
upset at my best friend because he said he “understood” what I was going
through. “Really? Do you really? Could you really?” Was my response. Poor guy,
he didn’t even see it coming. Or the day that just about everything everyone
said sounded like such an insult or a stupid idea. Or the day I felt like
everything (and I mean everything) was just a complete waste of time and that
my life had been a complete waste so far.
I could see how easy it was for
men to get along with each other, and how easy it was for them to
compartmentalize the challenges at work. While I took every heartache and every
challenge personally and carried the emotions with me everywhere I went. I
disliked being a woman because it meant I attached an emotion to everything. I
disliked being a woman because I often felt my male peers did not take me seriously.
I disliked being a woman because I hated how weak I felt in certain situations,
and how mechanics and car salesmen always took advantage of me. I disliked
being a woman because I thought about how I would have to give up my last name,
give up my figure, give up my career, and give up my life for my family. I
disliked being a woman because I focused constantly on everything I would be
losing, instead of everything I would be gaining.
But lately I’ve been learning
about what a beautiful thing it is to be a woman. Because I feel so deeply it
means I can appreciate more deeply. I am empathetic, which makes it easier for
me to make friends and cherish my friends. And when I am discounted purely
because I am a woman, I find ways to excel regardless. And when people try to
take advantage of me because I am a woman, God always finds a way to protect
me, because I am His woman.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not
saying that all women have these characteristics. What I am saying is that the
things I saw as the weakness of my womanhood have become strengths. And because
I am thankful for my womanhood, I am able to appreciate more and more about
myself and cherish the time that God has given me.
I’m thankful that God made me a
woman, I’m thankful that my parents continually remind me that womanhood is a
privilege. What a privilege it is to be the woman that will help my future
husband to do all that he could never accomplish without me. What a privilege
it is to bring life to another and provide a supporting foundation for them.
What a privilege it is to be loved by a God who has chosen to bless me with so
many privileges.
So how about you? What are you
most thankful for about your womanhood?
Bio: Osayi Osar-Emokpae is the
author of Impossible is Stupid (http://impossibleisstupid.com)
a book that encourages Christians singles to thrive. She is one of the
“anonymous” co-hosts of the “I am seriously single”
podcast. You can learn more about appreciating womanhood on her blog http://iyasostuff.com
Thank you so much for taking time to share with our readers on today. I look forward to you partaking in our blog again. May God continue to bless you abundantly!
