Monday, May 24, 2010

Well Behaved Women

On Saturday afternoon I was alone in the car with my honey for the first time in a week. We had just left the church where our oldest daughter had just married and we were on our way to the reception. (I will post about the ceremony later.) We were stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. I was glowing as I laid my head back to rest as Don had asked me to. I had a hard time closing my eyes because I couldn't stop looking at him. I so admired the man sitting behind the steering wheel and just wanted to continue gazing at him as he drove. Being tired, it didn't take long before I drifted off to sleep. As brief as it was, it was refreshing.

We came to a quick halt and I opened my eyes. Don gently put his hand on me to apologize because a car had cut in on us and he had to hit the brakes. I looked at the car in front of us and saw a bumper sticker on it. It said, "Well behaved women rarely make history."

I couldn't stop staring at it because I wondered how many women believe that. I, for one, could not and would not receive that. According to the standards of society, I'm consider a well behaved woman. True as that may be, what's not true is that there's a chance I may not make history.

What does it take to make history?

I have several answers to that questions. When I woke up this morning and ministered to my family by taking care of my home, I was making history. Even as I sit here right now writing this blog, I'm making history. I started on my history making journey when I decided to do things contrary to what was popular. I looked back in history trying to figure out where our society went wrong. In the late 60's - early 70's, there was a shift in our land. Women were told by other women they didn't have to behave anymore. Thus began the feminist movement that was suppose to bring freedom to women. As a child I remember looking around and wondering what happened. Some things in history don't need to be repeated.

In my quest, I found this~
Thus says the Lord: "Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls..." Jeremiah 6:16

I've decided that I'm going to continue to behave while making history. Who knows, maybe I'll be in the history books one day and you may not realize it. I'll be the mother of the worldchangers that you're reading about.

8 comments:

Shelle Shoup said...

You are incredible and I truly miss you.

wendyytb said...

Well said!

Anonymous said...

Well said Sandra. I too am a well behaved woman and what those early feminist pioneers failed to tell us is all the benefits of good behavior, like being in love and being loved, happy and healthy children, being fulfilled and satisfied. There are far more benefits to being well behaved than misbehaving! Thank you for your blog! Stacey Hopkins

~Lisi P. said...

Thanks, Mrs. Sandra! I needed this today. Can't wait to read about the wedding. Blessings :)

Unknown said...

Wow, that was an awesome post! I am going to be sitting right along side with you watching my Children change the World too!
Love Ya

Michelle said...

Hello, Sandra! this is my first visit to your blog. I came by way of LAF and I just love this post!

The other post I really needed to read was your Stamp of Approval post.

Although I am content to be who Christ made me to be, lately I've discovered a new type of approval bug afflicting me in the form of desiring to connect with other Christian lady bloggers that don't want to reciprocate!

The fact is-it shouldn't matter, and I needed that re-affirmation!

So glad to have found your site!

Have a blessed week!

Lori said...

Sorry, I'm just now reading this post...
But "well behaved" is an interesting term. The women in the Bible who get mention by name- were not "well behaved" always--- they fought for God. They did dirty, counter cultural work. Even Mary, Mother of Jesus, was SO COUNTER CULTURAL!

That's how we are not "well behaved." We don't like back and take the world as the world tells us to!

Lauren said...

Hi -

I found your blog today, and I thought your post on this topic interesting. I think that the "well behaved" aspect can be taken in multiple ways. On one hand, there's the feminist view that would say "why behave?" and your view which would say we should behave. I think I'm somewhere in the middle. I see this quote as meaning, we shouldn't behave simply for behavior's sake. We shouldn't conform to the accepted behavior of the times simply because it is expected.
Think of all the changes Jesus brought about by "misbehaving." People at the time saw him as a crazy, blasphemous fool, who was working with the people society deemed unworthy (poor, foreigners, lepers, sinners etc.)

So, on one side I agree with you that we should act decorously and behave in a good manner, I am willing to "misbehave" for a good cause if needed!

Peace in Him,
LB