Women's ministry part 2: So why am I here?

After I wrote yesterday's reaction, I was asking myself--Then why am I getting more involved? Why am I here? I didin't do women's Bible study until my older daughter was about one. Before that I had been working and found social interaction there. But I had become a stay-at-home-mom and figured I should get out of the house and my daughter needed to be socialized. After daughter number 2, we tried moving and building a house, so I "dropped out of life" for a while. Things didn't work out and we've stayed put. I spent some time arguing with God that I didn't need a Bible study to study the Bible. I had family so I didin't need social interaction. Well, God made helped me realize that I needed to interact with people outside my family. (And that my husband can get tired of being the only person I talk to). I learned that women's retreats could be fun--they're not all the same and not what I thought. I still didin't always fit in but I found women--Christian women in a church (imagine that)--who accepted me and loved me even though I'm a little bit different. Since I've grown up in the church, it's hard for me to be challenged or inspired by studies because I've studied the Bible a long time. But I've found that regardless of how good or bad, how deep or superficial, how organized or disorganized a study is, I can ALWAYS get something out of it if I ask God to show me something. (On the flipside, I can also be disappointed if I don't go in desiring to learn and expecting NOT to learn anything.) Then it came to a point when I realized that the only way I could be challenged further would be to teach a study. I knew I would have to dig deeper and work harder to stay ahead of those I'm teaching. Yeah, I thought God was crazy. I did my own version of a "fleece" making sure I'd heard the call right. I have found the most welcoming, encouraging, supporting, loving group of Christian women in a church. They have been changing my opinion of women. I hope and pray that I convey these things to the women in my group.

My reaction to some of the women's ministry blogs

http://modernreject.com/2012/01/why-i-dont-like-womens-ministry/ http://www.kareneyates.com/ I’ve been taking on more leadership in our women’s ministry, which there are days I find that so ironic I have to laugh out loud. You see, I don’t like women. Ok, let me clarify. I don’t like the stereotype “woman” as painted by the media, society, and “church.” Dresses. Lace. Pink. Flowers. Romance. Romantic comedies. Victorian. Teddy Bears. Scrapbooking. Jewelry. Heels. BLEH! Give me jeans, t-shirts, black, grey, sci-fi, action, adventure, martial arts, cars, trucks, guns … I have also recently discovered a bit of hidden athleticism so if I could live in running clothes and tennis shoes, I think I would. But sadly, I’ve met women—in and out of “church”—who were judgemental, critical, and competitive. If I didn’t fit their picture of good mom, good wife, or good woman I felt disapproval. I’m sure some of this has been my personal perception, but some has been very real. I think thanks to society, media and even “church,” women have trouble embracing differences—but why? Do we need to change our thinking? Our perspective? Our reaction?