For as long as I can remember I’ve struggled with self-consciousness. There was a stint, before 3rd grade when I was unashamedly confident, but mean comments, embarrassments, and my own resentment of my shy, introverted personality chipped away at that innocence until I found it easier to hide myself from a world full of standards I couldn’t live up to. My rules for survival were simple: don’t speak up and don’t stand out.
The modern woman is extremely busy. She is hustling all the time, at work, at home, single or married, mother or not, she has a full plate and even fuller mind. The expectations placed on her by society, family, and the church are herculean. The Christian woman can easily mistake these expectations as the measure of her value.
I love Jesus, & I want everyone to know Him. I want everyone to have their lives transformed by Him, the same way mine has been. So much so, that I’ll give whatever I have to spread His love: my time, talents, & treasure. Actually, that’s not true.
Sometimes she came over, sat on the couch, and did not say much of anything. It made me nervous in the beginning. I tried to fill the silence with sound and my hands felt obligated to be busy moving, doing, working. Yet there she sat, still. Quiet.
I bought the brightly colored balloon at the grocery store, to deliver along with the frozen lasagna and salad fixings, even though deep down I knew it wasn’t the right message. “Get Well Soon” simply wasn’t possible for my friend, now facing the mountainous road of chemo and radiation, with the cancer detour that had radically altered her course. If there had been better options, I would have chosen more cancer-appropriate balloon words such as “Here With You” or “Courageous Warrior.”