Mother’s Day
One of our assignments in my 10th grade Geometry class was to write about what we wanted to do with our lives. I honestly do not remember how Geometry was related to the assignment, but I do vividly remember being fearful about honestly answering the question. My answer was simple: I wanted to be a mom. The reality was also vivid: I did not think that my 10th grade Geometry class was a safe place for that desire to be made known. I do not know why I felt this way. The teacher, Ms. Morris, although she was a scary lady, was a mom herself, and I don’t rightly recall her being hostile. However, there was a growing cultural negativity in the 1990’s that was unmistakable, and as one of the top students of my class, I was designed for bigger and brighter things. To not aim higher would be a waste, or so I was taught to think.
During a class discussion in one of my graduate literature courses, another incident sticks out in my memory. We were discussing the novel Middlemarch by George Elliot, and as per usual in literature courses, we were talking about the female characters in the book, extolling their strengths and admirable feminist qualities. The obvious lead subjects were discussed: Dorothea Brook and Rosamond Vincy, but there was one more woman I wanted to talk about that had not been mentioned: the character Susan Garth. Susan Garth was a stellar character in the novel that caught my attention. She was a former schoolteacher who utilized her professional past to raise her own kids. She homeschooled them in her kitchen teaching them Latin, grammar, and geography while she baked pies to help support the family. Her character was highly rational, well learned, and self-controlled. She was also the mother of Mary Garth, who is the novel’s most grounded, astute, and morally resilient figure. Susan and Mary, to me, were stellar pillars of womanhood that I thought deserved to be mentioned.
However, when I mentioned Susan Garth, instead of an insightful analysis that such a character deserved, my professor treated this character with contempt and painted her as a villainess, and my classmates followed suit. In this discussion I learned what it meant to “not toss my pearls before swine.” Susan Garth was the true pearl of the story. In that narrative reality, Susan Garth was the power center of the novel, whether they were able to see it or not. In our actual lives, women who give and nurture life are the power centers of our stories. When women choose to give life and foster life on every front, they are engaging in direct spiritual warfare against Satan who seeks to kill, steal, and destroy. The reason for the incessant attacks is because the woman who loves and nurtures those people God has placed in her care, is one of the brightest and purest and most powerful lights God places in this world of darkness.
On Mother’s Day a few weeks ago, my church had a “Baby Dedication” at the beginning of the service. Before us were three beautiful families—moms, dads, and squirmy little babies. On that day, all three of my nearly grown children were with me—two had just returned home from college. One of my daughters was holding my hand, and the other had her head on my shoulder. The ladies on stage were just starting their parenting journey. I am now a little over two decades in. The fight has been intense, but it is worth every single moment. My decision to be a lifegiver and a nurturer of people is the most important one I have ever made or will ever make.
The Five Aspects of Women teaching on being a Lifegiver that I was exposed to a few short years after I took Geometry was a lifesaver for me because it clarified and gave substance to my 10th grade desire to be a mom. It helped me understand what a high and precious calling it was. When my ability to even have children was in question, after three miscarriages and the loss of four babies, I knew that whatever happened, whether I was going to be a mom myself or not, I was still called to be a lifegiver, regardless of my circumstances. Lifegiving, as presented in The Five Aspects of Women is “anything which raises us above mere existence to life—that which is characterized by vitality, animation, interest, vigor, and joy. This can be done physically, socially, intellectually, artistically, and spiritually. All women are lifegivers whether they are mothers or not” (p. 169). I am trying to live my life with vitality, animation, interest, vigor, and joy—elevating and nurturing the lives of those around me. I encourage you to do the same. Let’s live beautiful lives y’all.
All women should be lifegivers—nurturing, encouraging, teaching, beautifying, and healing. Take inventory of your domain once again, and ask yourself, “Where am I giving life? Whom do I nurture? How do I do it?” Wives and mothers, don’t be weary in well-doing. Keeping house, preparing meals, encouraging your husband, loving and training your children, and all the hundreds of things you do to give life to your family and community from the base of your home—this work is essential and commanded by God. Single women, do not be deceived; you are created and called to be helpers and lifegivers as well. When you befriend, encourage, or nurture even one person, you are fulfilling your role as a lifegiver. When you help families, nurture in the church or the community, you are building up houses. All our skills, crafts, arts, and professions are means to channel life from God to those around us. As many varieties and versions of lifegivers exist as there are billions of women in the world; you are uniquely one of them. I pray this study will illuminate and invigorate this central core of your womanly nature. (Five Aspects of Women—Lifegiver Created p. 169)
Men, Women, & Marriage: Seven Biblical Principles
More to the Story Podcast with Molly White:
Molly White and I sat down again to record a podcast on our wonderful co-ed bible study titled Men, Women & Marriage: Seven Biblical Principles. The bible study teaches the seven biblical principles that are needed to understand what the Bible teaches about human sexuality. The ladies and I had a great conversation. The links to the two-part series are below.
Part One
WATCH ON SPOTIFY:
WATCH ON YOUTUBE:
Part Two
WATCH ON SPOTIFY:
WATCH ON YOUTUBE:
The entire playlist of all the podcasts on YouTube can be found here:
Men, Women & Marriage: Seven Biblical Principles is a 7–9-week Bible study that walks through the Bible and teaches seven essential principles that undergird a biblically sound theology of human sexuality. The principles are equality, difference, unity, sin & the curse, law & judgment, salvation & grace, and glory.
Men, Women & Marriage answers the questions: What is a man? What is a woman? What is marriage? Answers to these questions ultimately determine one’s view of sex and sexuality. The Bible provides clear answers. Scripture tells us what men, women, and marriage were created by God to be, what has gone wrong because of our sin and our failure, and what God has done and is doing to fix, redeem, and restore what we have broken.
Five Aspects of Women Facilitators
I am in the process of putting together a Five Aspects of Women Facilitators group. To those of you who have taught the course in the past or consider yourselves to be versed in the materials and are interested in helping to grow and continue the ministry, please contact me. I have some projects that I need your feedback and help with.
In the meantime, if you are interested in joining this group, please send me an email at info@fiveaspects.com.
In Christ,
Kristine Vermillion
Editor and Women’s Ministry Director
Five Aspects Ministries