In year 8 we had compulsory cooking classes. I didn't pay attention as we cooked potato au gratin or quiches - why should I? It's not like my place was in the kitchen or anything. I have actively avoided that area for most of my life and apparently now I am making up for lost time. As of today I am the proud owner of a beautiful red cookbook from The Australian Women's Weekly: How To Cook Absolutely Everything. I'm about to try my hand at chicken cacciatore, here's hoping it's not a disaster.
Anyway, as I thumbed through this cookbook I began to think about why it was suddenly so important to me that I learn how to prepare edible food. Probably when I started to realise that men and women did have different roles, as ordained by God and yes I accepted that women are helpers. We are complementary to men.
Then I struggled with this for a moment. Mulling over my future, for once, I thought about the reality of being married. Not just the oh-he's-the-kind-of-guy-and-that's-what-my-dress-would-look-like kind of fantasy but the fact that my plans, my hopes would all be tied to his. What if they weren't the same? What would I have to sacrifice? And once I was married and had children - is that it? Years at uni, the years I hope to spend at Moore College, what do they mean when you're a housewife? I noticed on Nicole's blog today that the years she worked are referred to as her 'previous life'.
And for a minute I considered being totally selfish. Suppose I stayed single for the sake of ministry? Or would it be for my own sake?
But as I considered the women around me, I realised that I was so wrong. I thought that I'd love to just chat to Nicole about a typical day in her life (although I suppose her blog is enough for that), and I'd just want to know how it is that she doesn't feel... restricted. Then I remembered that I have Isobel Lin to talk to who is just as awesome and despite the fact that she is married and has three children is actively involved in ministry and chairs EQUIP for goodness sake.
I just needed a reminder. Being married and having children won't be the end of my life. Well, it might be the end of one life, but it will be the beginning of another. And although I haven't got a hope of understanding it now, it will be a life that will bring more joy than I thought possible and which can never be compensated by the unlimited freedom I think is so attractive now.
Regardless, at only 20 years of age I think I'm at perfect liberty to guard my freedom jealously. I'm not ready yet, I don't apologise for this and I don't really think it's that big a deal. I won't be engaged at 21. So freaking what?
In the meantime, I'm preparing myself to be the best wife I can be and I think that future husband will appreciate that far more than my lamenting the fact that he hasn't turned up yet.
There was once a fish who wanted to be truly free. She thought she should be free to be a land creature and do land creature things if she wanted. She should be free to be whatever she wanted and do whatever she pleased. It was her right. It was her freedom.
ReplyDeleteSo she swam to shore, stood up on her tail fins and did what she wanted. She was finally free. A fish CAN be a land creature! After a bit, she discovered that she only did land creature things as a fish. Breathing also became an issue. She was free, but it did not feel that way.
She went to the think by the ocean where she felt comfortable. She saw her friends being fish and thought how excellent that was. So she jumped back into the sea and realised that now she was truly free and that true freedom was being what you were made to be.
As a woman in ministry, a wife and mother, you'll make an awesome fish, Chris.
I love being married and love to serve Rob by cooking him dinner - even though he is a very capable cook. Next week I'll be back at school so I wont be able to be as domestic :'(
ReplyDeleteI never thought that I'd enjoy being the domestic wife. It's nice (and easy) to serve someone you love.