More Humanity Ponderings by Susan L.

My life with the Lord began nearly nine years ago. My very first prayer was "Lord, teach me to be human." My life, up to receiving Jesus as my Saviour, had been one of robotic survival. In the ensuing discovery of "self" I have discovered the Lord waiting at every turn-a-bout, every crossroads, every blind hill. He has guided my mind and pen through many journals. We slowly uncovered the lies that had kept me shackled to the empty life I once led. A Bible word study was where it began. "Woman". Can't get more basic than gender. As a victim of chronic abuse, I hated being the "weaker sex". My eyes and heart were opened by this slow and methodical search through chapter and verse. Amazingly, I found that there's so much to celebrate about being a woman. First and foremost we women are the receivers and bearers of life. It is why we were physically designed this way. We also hold within our bodies the ability to sustain life as any nursing mother knows at around three A.M. Our design makes us special and yes, terribly vulnerable. But, what a gift! In saying that, having children does not define us. It's the essence of that ability which really counts. The nurturing, life bearing nature of woman simply shows up elsewhere. It is unquenchable. Where and what this looks like is beyond my understanding. Each of us is unique and special in God's eyes. Gender is only one tiny piece of who we truly are. "And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living." Gen 4:20