"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him" (1 Cor. 1:27-29).
Anyone else here ever think these words are about us?
The world deems us foolish indeed for using our advanced degrees to spend our days dealing with poop emergencies, negotiating with 3-foot-tall tyrants, and reading "Frog and Toad" books ad nauseum.
Hard to think of many things that seem lowlier, at times, than the relentless daily requirements of perpetual motherhood.
What could be weaker than our helpless newborns?
And I'd venture to say that the vocation of parenthood, and yes, even children themselves (or more than 2.5 of them) are despised in our culture--in deed if not in word.
Not to mention that there are quite a few days when I personally feel like a thing that is not.
All excellent reminders of how God designed this great adventure to "Let him [her!] who boasts boast in the Lord." In Christ alone is "our righteousness, holiness and redemption" (v.31, 30). This foolish, lowly, despised path daily--hourly--humbles me, strips me of my silly pretensions to self-sufficiencey, reminds me that my life is quite simply not about me.
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8 comments:
"perpetual motherhood" So babies every nine months until menopause?
Git 'er done for Jesus!
It's averaged out to every 20.3 months for me. So that's much easier.
Oh . . . Hello there, anon. I see you now.
Come, come, dear old friend. Let's not get nit picky about time tables. "He jests at scars that never felt a wound."
RM--Fine exegesis. I really can't think of anything lowlier than dealing with other peoples' solid waste all day (today's count: 6). And as for the unding problem, the worst are those days when I realize there's nothing I really want positively--I just want other everyone else to feel as miserable as I think I do. That, friends, is low (and I have more to write on it later).
But the four weak things God has given me so far have certainly shamed me by showing that I, so prideful in my perceived strengths, cannot be trusted in something so little that most people in our society leave it to the barely employable. So what business do I have doing all that great stuff (ha!) I thought I was great enough (ha!) to do? Back to the solid waste, you!
In the early, difficult days of my transition to CSPP, I would carry on about why God wasted brains on women if he just needed somebody to squeeze out and deal with babies. News flash, smart self: God is a lot smarter than you are, so quit darkening his council. Take care of them babies smart-wise, if you can muster the integrity to get off your lazy, self-pitying bum.
rebekah--
amen :)
though there are still some days on which i carry on...
Somebody's channeling Fr. Fritz Eckardt in her exegesis. . .
+HRC
Hey HRC,
Nothing wrong with a little creative exegetical application every now and again, methinks, so long as we don't stray too far from the aegis of orthodoxy. Hee hee.
Mystagogy, anyone?
That was a compliment: if you don't have a copy of Everyday Will I Bless Thee: Meditations for the Daily Office - you should.
+HRC
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