Invisible women

Wouldn’t it be great to have the super power of invisibility? Think of the places you could go undetected, what you could see and hear, and nobody would know you were there!

But…maybe you already feel invisible.

You know what I mean – like you don’t matter, that others overlook or forget about you. You don’t feel included, or are not given recognition in a crowded room. It’s demoralizing and discouraging to be invisible then.

While in the United States women may struggle with feeling unseen in society, in many world cultures women are little more than property, second class, are very invisible, except perhaps to their families. In first century Israel, women were of lesser prominence than men as well.

A favorite Bible story of mine is of the “sinful woman” who washes Jesus’ feet with her tears when he is attending a dinner at the home of Simon, a Pharisee (Luke 7:36-50). While the other guests are aghast at the woman’s presence, no one acknowledges her – she is invisible to them. But then Jesus says to Simon:

“Do you see this woman?” (v. 44)

Jesus sees her – she is not invisible to him! Then he continues:

“I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, [a big social snub] but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.”

She was motivated by her love for Jesus, and he loved her back by giving her value through seeing her.

As I age, the thing I dread most about being “old” is not losing my sight or my hearing or my mind or even my continence (or maybe all of the above!); rather, it’s becoming invisible, alone, forgotten. But no matter what your stage in life, you can be assured the Lord sees you.

And, we indeed do have a super power from God. Through Christ’s love we have the power to see each other, to make other women feel visible, valued. May none of us feel invisible in the fellowship of our Christian sisters.

A blooming good time!

A couple of weeks ago, a group of Legacy women enjoyed the beauty of Terri Krause’s garden. From pretty table decorations to a scrumptious menu, it was a lovely time! Thank you Terri for your hospitality and gardening talent.

It reminded me that mankind’s original “habitat” was a garden in Eden. Though hard to imagine, it was even more beautiful than what we enjoyed at Terri’s; in fact, it was perfect, made by God for us, providing all that we needed. (Of course, things have changed since Adam and Eve, but that’s another story!)

However, gardens are significant throughout the Bible. In the Song of Songs, the beloved wife of the King Solomon is repeatedly referred to as a private garden in very romantic terms. Some of the most endearing references to God’s people, the Israelites, compares them to a garden:

You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. –Isaiah 58:11

They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more. –Jeremiah 31:12

In the New Testament, two very significant scenes take place in a garden: Jesus’ prayer of agony in the Garden of Gethsemane where he commits to his mission to do his Father’s will; and in the garden of his tomb, where Jesus makes his first appearance after his resurrection to Mary Magdalene. It would seem that such pivotal events should have taken place in the Temple or some other stately place – but they didn’t.

Whether or not you like the hobby of gardening, we all respond to gardens:

• On a very basic level, they can provide sustenance for our physical bodies, whether food, water, shade. In that regard, they hold the power of life itself.
• Gardens can refresh us emotionally by providing a place of beauty, comfort, rest and rescue. There is a unique power in beauty that often defies logic – why do flowers come in so many colors and designs?
• And of course, a garden can inspire us spiritually by reminding us of the Creator and all that he has made. A garden gives us a sense of wonder and delight in our gracious God who has made such a beautiful home for us.