Three Things I Want the World to Know About Me

1. I belong to God. This is not the same as "I believe in God." Or even, "I am a woman of faith." What I want everyone looking on to know is "I am bought with a price"---the precious blood of my Savior--and I have presented myself as a living sacrifice to Him. I am completely, voluntarily under His command because the cross of his Son calls for no lesser service. His smallest desire is my biggest priority.


2. I am a woman. God created us male and female from the beginning and ever since the first sin, we humans have been struggling to accept our God-given gender and its accompanying qualities and roles. In Large Family Logisitics, Kim Brenneman quotes Jennie Chancey:

Our foremothers settled this land, built houses, planted gardens and tended animals in long skirts and beautiful dresses. Even their aprons were wonderful to behold! Surely in our day of microwaves, washing machines and vacuum cleaners, we can do our chores with as much feminine flair as they. Personally, I feel it is uplifting to the spirit to go through each day in womanly attire. Let's dignify our work by dressing appropriately and beautifully in it!

The only way the world will know instantly that I joyfully accept my gender is by the way I dress and conduct myself.

3. I love.  Yes, that is a complete sentence. It has no object simply because I want the fact that I love to be unconditional as it was for Jesus. I love God first and foremost. I'm learning to love my family in the Titus 2 kind of way. The early Christians were known by their love for one another. Then, I want to get past my heart, my walls and the pews of my church and love. Love the wicked. Love the sick. Love the hurting. Love the dirty. Love the misguided youth and the forgotten elderly. Love the child murdered before it had a chance to live...and even more difficult, its mother.

How am I doing? I'm not sure. Perhaps I should start with number three and make sure I am close enough to the world so that they have opportunity to observe my life. Or maybe I should start with number one so they don't look at me and see someone very much like themselves who knows how to speak spiritual-sounding words. Wherever I begin, I must always remember number two---I'm a woman of God with a unique position of ministry to fill.

I want the world to know these things about me....so that the world may know Him.