This may be hard reading, but I surely hope you will bless me by digging in and seeing what my heart is trying to say . . .
This week has brought about much to think about. First, the religious fervor and dog-and-pony show that was the Democrat National Convention. The "smartest woman in the world" upstaging the "finally-proud-of-her-country" future First Lady. Or was it the other way around?? The triumphal entry into god-like surroundings by the "next" President.
That triumph was short-lived. On the other side of the aisle, the trump hand was about to be played!! The scene was breath-taking -- clean, confident, accomplished, Super-Mom, with the darling family behind her all the way -- the "next" Vice-President of the United States! How could conservative Christians possibly resist coming back into the fold??
Oh, my heart! If we did not trust in a sovereign, providential heavenly Father, we could despair of ever seeing the culture changed, of ever seeing the family restored to its Biblical, God-ordained rightness. When those who proclaim to fully believe the Word find a ray of hope, nay, a blazing sunshine of hope, in a new face and her family on the national scene, the only recourse for the heart is to truly rest on the unchanging Word of God.
He is not taken by surprise. He has His plan. He wishes for His children to keep focus on our generational vision and the task at hand. I was encouraged to read today a wonderful "Clearly Seen" illustration of God's plan for families. See if it doesn't encourage your heart that you are taking the right path:
"Open an acorn: in it we find the oak in all its parts, -- root, trunk, branches. Look into the home: in it we shall find the state, the church, the army, the industrial organization. As the oak is germinant in the acorn, so society is germinant in the family. Historically, the family is the first organization; biologically it is the origin of all other organizations.
Abraham builds an altar, and his wife and children and servants gather about it for the evening sacrifice: the family is the first church.
The herds and flocks are driven daily to their feeding grounds by his sons and servants: the family is the first labor organization.
He counsels, guides, directs, controls the children and servants; the power of life and death is in his hands: the family is the first government.
The brother is carried off in a raid by robber bands. Abraham arms and organizes his servants, pursues the robber bands, conquers and disperses them, and recovers the captive: the family is the first army.
Moreover, it is out of the family that society grows. As the cell duplicates itself, and by reduplication the living organism grows, so the family duplicates itself, and by the reduplication of the family the social organism grows. The children of the family come to manhood, and marry the children of other families. Blood unites them; the necessities of warfare, offensive and defensive, unite them; and so the tribe comes into existence. For the united action of this tribe some rule, some authority is necessary; thus tribal, state, national government comes into existence.
These families find it for their mutual advantage to engage in separate industries, and exchange the product of their labor: thus barter end trade and the whole industrial organization come into existence. These families thus united by marriage into one tribe, cemented by war in one army, bound together by the necessity of united action in one government, cooperating in one varied industry, find in themselves a common faith and common aspirations, in a word, a common religion, and so the church comes into existence.
Such, very briefly stated, is the development of society as we read it in the complicated history of the past. Historically the family is the first social organization. Organically it contains within itself all the elements of all future organization. Biologically, all future organization has grown out of it, by a process of duplication and interrelationship.
In the family, therefore, we find all the elements of a later and more complicated social organization; in the family we may discover written legibly the laws which should determine the structure of society and should regulate its action; the family, rightly understood, will answer our often perplexing questions concerning social organization -- whether it is military, political, industrial, or religious."
This is from an article, "Why Women Do Not Wish the Suffrage", written in 1903. The entire article can be read at http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/03sep/0309suffrage.htm . It was a link from an excellent article at www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com . There are several good articles there along the same lines. Ladies, it behooves us to be vigilant, faithful stewards of the domain we have been called to, true "keepers", guards of our homes. God bless you as you take your precious children on into a time I won't see. May He prepare you for all that is ahead. I am praying for you.
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7 comments:
Sorry--That was me. :)
Wonderful, wonderful post Grandmama!!!
That was a great illustration you used. I can tell you--this is one young woman who certainly does not want the suffrage!
As I have followed the political events leading up to this election, I have begun to realize how easy it is for people to be sucked into the "better of 2 evils" talk. How easy it could be to just vote for McCain and Palin as after all, it is better then Obama! And she makes up for what he lacks...It is simple for some to look past the fact that she is not only being a helpmeet to someone besides her husband, but disobeying other Biblical guidelines as well.
Thank you for this encouraging post reminding us to be faithful, even in seemingly simple things like this.
Love,
~Sarah~
Mama,
That was a VERY good post. I was especially impressed with the article from 1903 by Lyman Abbott. I found it actually very easy reading and rather stimulating. I would strongly encourage others to follow the link and read the article. It is so well thought out. A refreshing point of view yet over 100 years old! It certainly encourages me in my endevours as a Mother. I really appreciated his thoughts on the difference between the sexes he states:
"Only things which have the same nature and fulfill the same function can be said to be superior to or equal with one another. Things which do not fulfill the same function are not thus comparable."
That is a practical way to look at it. You can't compare the value of men to the value of women because we have completely different jobs and are needed by our families and society for different reasons. Comparing the worth between men and women is like trying to compare the value of a steak and an apple. Both are healthful and necessary to the body. Anyway, he does a much better job making the analogy.
Thank you, Mama, for your thought provoking essay and for the link to that excellent article!
Mama,
What an excellent post...so completely relevant to the political scenarios we are facing today. The complete article by Mr. Abbott was so well thought out and beautifully written, I appreciated it very much. As a mother of seven boys, it makes much more sense to pour my time and energies into raising them for the glory of God than for following my own selfish ambitions (not that I have any political ambitions!) In the long run, my efforts are exponentially multiplied because my seven boys will become Godly men ready to raise up their own families. I am able to influence them now to learn how to make wise voting choices so that when they are of voting age, my influence is now not my one vote, but their SEVEN votes. If mothers of today would only see the long term consequences of letting someone else influence their children, they might take more seriously their responsibility to train up their own children instead of choosing the short term gratification of a career. (Hope this doesn't step on any toes)
Love,
Katie
Girls, I thank you for your encouraging words! You are the faithful women I write for. If others are blessed, I am pleased, but God has placed you all in my life to sow seeds into for the future. Thank you for your willingness to hear my heart and make it a part of yours.
Love,
Mother/Grandmother
Another thought along these lines. The girls and I were talking and we were thinking how these women "just want to make a difference in the world" by doing some noble job such as teaching, community work, etc. etc.
If EVERY mother were home nurturing, loving, training and caring for her children in ONE generation America would be a different country. There would be virtually no crime, young men would go out and get an honest job, society would be completely different in a DRAMATIC way if only mothers would be dedicated to staying with their children and training them up properly. (I am not even getting into the role of fathers -- we all know that is absolutely a necessity as well. This is just a hypothetical thought here) What better way to truly make a difference in this world. I know this sounds idealistic and there are many intricit problems with this thesis, but by and large I think there is much truth to it :)
Molly
I am finally getting around to responding to this post. It honestly did give me much to think about.
I read through read Mr. Einwechter's exposition, the article from 1903 by Mr. Abbott, and the Botkin sisters recent post on their blog. All are excellent arguments for the beautiful, God designed vocation of womanhood.
I was so impressed by the premise of Mr. Abbott's argument. All of society is centered areound one goal - to preserve the next generation. That is the reason fathers work, the reason soldiers fight, the reason civil servants protect, the reason government governs. And who is the central guardian of this priceless jewel that all of society is centered around preserving? The mother - truly this is a high calling!
As man and woman, our roles may differ, but our goal is the same. Only the Creator God could have designed it so beautifully. As always, when man determines to change God's design, we end up with a mess. That's (IMHO) what we have here in this political situation, a clouded, skewed mess!
Love,
Beth
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