womanhood

On Being A Woman: I Have the Answer to What all this Means

On Being A Woman: I Have the Answer to What all this Means

When I started writing this series, I believed that I was part of a small percentage of women who felt like they didn’t fit in the box. But as I’ve gotten feedback on what I’ve written and had several conversations with friends, I’m starting to think that no one really feels that they fit in the “woman box.” They feel, like me, that they have maybe half the characteristics they are supposed to have, but are missing about half as well.

So what does it mean to be a woman? And does the Bible give a comprehensive answer to that question? (spoiler alert: it does not.)

All these questions and discussions spurred me to do something weird…

On Being a Woman: God Actually Likes You

On Being a Woman: God Actually Likes You

God is in the business of developing His character in us. He is not, I believe, in the business of overhauling the way He has already uniquely imprinted us with His divine image. Sanctification is not His process of cloning us into the Model Christian Woman.

On Being a Woman: And Moving Past the Anger that Comes Along with It

On Being a Woman: And Moving Past the Anger that Comes Along with It

Dwelling in my anger was hurting me, hindering me from seeking good, and making me irritated, indifferent, and angsty in my closest relationships. I am changing, but I’m not still not equipped to talk about moving past anger. The best I can do is talk about what I’m learning as I deal with it.


On Being a Woman: And the Anger that Sometimes Comes Along with It

On Being a Woman: And the Anger that Sometimes Comes Along with It

We have to talk about anger, for two reasons: For one, feeling anger is inevitable. I don’t think we’re going to suddenly stop feeling the angst that comes along with being squeezed into a box that we don’t belong in. We also need to talk about anger because we feel alone in it sometimes, and that can lead us to even more frustration. Healing often comes in realizing that we’re all dealing with the same issues, feeling the same hurt, and working towards the same goal.

On Being a Woman: When Who You're "Supposed to Be" Isn't Who You Are

On Being a Woman: When Who You're "Supposed to Be" Isn't Who You Are

When I inevitably proved not to be the kind of woman I was supposed to be over and over again, it wasn’t something wrong with what I was doing; it was something fundamentally wrong with me as a person. I always felt like the black sheep, I was passed over a lot because there was something about me that wasn’t quite right. It sometimes felt as though calling me a “Christian woman” was as ironic as calling me a name that means “peaceful and quiet.”

Here's Looking at You on International Women's Day

Here's Looking at You on International Women's Day

I’m realizing that all the things about being a woman that used to make me feel weak have actually revealed the strength I have. This is true for all the women that I encounter every day. We consistently show up for our jobs, families, friends, and communities, often while dealing with additional and unseen physical, emotional, societal, and systemic realities that simply come along with being a woman.

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