Brothers

That was the word that kept ringing in my head today.

Just as I am learning there are vital things that we as women fail to offer the world when we refuse to be all of the person God created us to be, and that the world suffers because it only sees one half of the image of God when women shrink back and remain on the sidelines…

I am beginning to see . . .

No. Rather,

I am beginning to appreciate the uniqueness that males have to offer.

There is a perfect balance that exists between men and women. Men need women and women need men. This is something many of us try to ignore, deny or disprove.

Every time I choose to invite guys into my life, I am relinquishing more of a prideful independence that has said for so long, I don’t need you and I’m better off without you.

But this is not true.

There is something women are/bring/do that is desperately needed
And there is something men are/bring/do that is desperately needed.

Neither gift is greater or lesser than the other, but they are both things that have to be given.

For example, today I had some of my guy friends help me move.

For me to even ask for help solely from guys especially is a big deal. But these are guys that are truly brothers to me and that I felt totally free in asking and knew they would be willing to serve.

I had everything boxed up, lined up, ready to go, I knew which furniture was leaving, I knew what all had to go, but ultimately I had no idea where to start or what I was doing. But this is where the uniqueness factor kicks in. the guys were totally in their element and I could allow them to do their thing.

It was a really cool thing. Humbling but also beautiful.

I have been learning a lot about the beauty of limits. Sometimes we think we’re super-human, but the thing is, we ARE human, and therefore, we must accept that there are limitations to what we are and what we can actually do.

There is no possible way I could have moved all the stuff out on my own. Or even if I had gathered a group of girls. No offense and not to be sexist because I think we all know I’m all about empowering women, but there is no way on God’s green earth that I would have been able to fit that much stuff in the bed of a truck or know what to put in next.

It was like the guys were speaking some secret language. They knew where to go, which piece of furniture to put in next, I was like, I’ll just load my car with boxes lol.

But part of the cool thing, is I didn’t HAVE to be good at that. This is what is great about limits. We all have different limitations, which is why we all need each other to a degree. If I hadn’t had the need to get my stuff moved out, I wouldn’t have had to ask them. Yet it was something they were stronger in than I was.

I saw something today that I needed to see and experience and felt truly blessed. This has actually been a process about 3-4 years in the making. A slow demolition of all the walls I’ve had in place, particularly with males, as God has been restoring my view of men and bringing men in my life that I am blessed to have as friends or in the cases of my pastors, mentors as well as friends. Fortunately, days like today are not rare, there have been several times in the last year, few months, weeks where I could see more glimpses of the beauty in how we were created, men and women, different and unique, but complementary and together more effective.

This is what it means to be family.
This is what it means to have brothers...
... godly men who know and fear the lord, who love Him and walk with Him daily.

Amen.

* photo courtesy of katie barnes photography