Real Women

Women are amazing creatures.  Often they don’t even realize how truly awesome God has made them.  I was blessed to lead a prayer retreat for women last weekend, over 20 women gathered in a cabin to seek after God and to fellowship together.  It didn’t take us long to connect over food, laughs, tears and good fellowship.

Women are quick that way, especially Christian women who feel a special connection long before we begin sharing our hearts with one another.  Drop the pretenses, take off the masks, time to be real.  Skip the small talk, let’s get to what matters and take it to God together.

I often found myself listening and watching them interact with each other in small groups, at meals or during down time.  I was quietly in awe of how loving our Father must be to ordain this type of relationship.  Sweet sisterhood.  Nothing compares to it; bound by grace to be family forever.

Over and over I saw women discussing needs and opening up to one another, being real with what is going on in their lives - the struggles, the triumphs, how God is working, how they wished God would work.  I heard scripture used as encouragement, as teaching and to shed light into difficult areas.  Then they took their hearts to God in prayer.  Going to their King who loves them and desires good for their lives.  Trusting him together.

This is what beautiful women look like.  Sitting together, Bibles open, smiles, laughs, tears, rejoicing, hurting and praying together.  United by a common, perfect Savior.  It is the way God created us to function, as one body with the same Spirit.
“But God has so composed the body… that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.” 1 Corinthians 12:24b-26

We women should embrace how God has made us.  No matter what the world tells us, we are vastly different than men and have been undoubtedly gifted in unique ways.  What the world often sees as weaknesses are powerful strengths in disguise –our intuition, understanding, empathy, our nurturing ability, perceiving needs, helping, listening, providing gentle instruction, industriousness, a desire for healing hurts, having a heart for those in need, a desire for relationships, a heart for the family, and the list goes on.  See Proverbs 31:10-31 for more insight into this list.

These gloriously potent feminine qualities are gifted to us by our Maker and aid us in living out a gospel saturated life.  Give me my sisters in a prayer circle any day over a shopping trip, pedis or any type of girly pampering. 
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“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.  For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!  And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12.