Faith Outside the Box

Betsy St. Amant

I grew up in the church—literally, I was there every time the doors were open for most of my childhood and beyond. There are so many blessings that come from a strong Christian heritage—but there are many challenges as well. Challenges that stem from routine and absorption, rather than life and certainty. I knew what I believed—I just had no idea why.

You see, as a Christian from a young age, I knew all the buzz words, the lingo, the native language of “church-ese”. I knew all the popular Bible verses and hymns by heart, which is fantastic in one sense, but devastating in another. When we get too familiar with something, it loses its impact. And the life-giving words tended to fly over my head and miss my heart completely.

Growing Up in the Shadow of OCD

By Robyn Cuspin

When I remember the mother of my childhood, I remember her washing the dishes, scrubbing the floor, or checking and doubling-checking the gas burners to make sure they were completely off, and we wouldn't all be gassed in our sleep. She had a special chant she used as she checked the burners. Standing with her hands on her hips and one finger outstretched, she began, "Silver. One. Two. Three. Off." And again, "Silver. One. Two. Three. Off." If she was interrupted, she would begin again. "Silver. One. Two. Three. Off." But even if she wasn't interrupted, she would begin again. Leaving the house was an anxiety-ridden process of checking, and double checking, to make sure there would be a house to return to. Needless to say, my mother was always late. Her rules were all that stood between her and the abyss of anxietyYears later, as an adult, I would begin to understand her anxiety about being gassed as an inter-generational inheritance from my grandmother's adolescence interred in the concentration camps. But as a child I couldn't begin to make the connection between our enormous, white, antique gas oven, and my silent, sad, and obese Yiddish-speaking grandmother, who shopped and cooked in preparation for the great famine that never arrived.

Being a Godly Example to the Next Generation of Women

Some of my fondest memories of childhood were when my sister and I would play dress-up. We loved adorning ourselves with my mother’s dresses and clunking around the house in high heels. I always imagined myself as a movie star or Miss America, gracefully walking the runway while my loyal fans cheered and cameras flashed.

Yet, childish dreams melt away as we grow older. Oh, there are the movie stars and the girls who become Miss America. But most of our paths don’t take that turn.

The harsh reality of life begins to raise its ugly head when we realize that those high heels are uncomfortable! And when that reality hits, many women are left living the life they’d always dreamed in their minds while the life God has given them flies by unnoticed.

Yes, women today are desperately in need of role models who stand firm in their faith and embrace the life God has for them. But where can you find those strong feminine models of faith? Well, the place I continue to look is in the Scriptures.

Women today are desperately in need of role models who stand firm in their faith and embrace the life God has for them.

Now the most familiar passage is of course the Proverbs 31 woman. But there are so many more. We can read about Ruth’s faithfulness, Esther’s bravery, and Mary’s devotion, just to name a few. I love reading these passages and learning what it means to be a woman devoted to God!

Who are our little girls pretending to be today? Who are their models? It’s my prayer that God would give women today the strength to provide the next generation with a strong and loving model of God’s greatest creation—a godly woman!

http://www.lightsource.com/ministry/powerpoint-with-jack-graham/articles/being-a-godly-example-to-the-next-generation-of-women-12942.html