October 14, 2020

Weekly Reflection – God Speaks to Women Too

God speaks to women is a topic seldom preached from the pulpit. Have you ever noticed how in the scriptures, men are always going up into the mountains to commune with the Lord? Yet in the scriptures, we hardly ever hear of women going to the mountains. But we know why — right? Because the women were too busy keeping life going; they couldn’t abandon babies, meals, homes, fires, gardens, and a thousand responsibilities to make the climb into the mountains!

I was talking to a friend the other day, saying that as a modern woman, I feel like I’m never “free” enough from my responsibilities, never in a quiet enough or holy enough spot to have the type of communion I want with God. Her response floored me, “That is why God comes to women. Men have to climb the mountain to meet God, but God comes to women where ever they are.”

I have been pondering on her words for weeks. And I have searched my scriptures to see that what she said is true. God does indeed come to women where they are when they are doing their ordinary, everyday work. He meets them at the wells where they draw water for their families, in their homes, in their kitchens, in their gardens. He comes to them as they sit beside sickbeds, as they give birth, care for the elderly, and perform necessary mourning and burial rites.

Even at the empty tomb, Mary was the first to witness Christ’s resurrection. She was there because she was doing the womanly chore of properly preparing Christ’s body for burial.

In these seemingly mundane and ordinary tasks, these women of the scriptures found themselves face to face with divinity. So if — like me — you ever start to bemoan the fact that you don’t have as much time to spend in the mountains with God as you would like. Remember, God comes to women. He knows where we are and the burdens we carry. He sees us, and if we open our eyes and hearts, we will see Him, even in the most ordinary places and in the most ordinary things.

He lives. And he’s using a time such as this to speak to women around the world.

Blessings,

Chaplain Allen
chaplain@nationsu.edu
chaplainscorner.org

Acknowledgement: This Reflection came to me via a Facebook posting by Jerry Heiderich, husband of NU’s Gail Heiderich.  He credited it to a Heather F.  I am thankful to both of them for this deep insight into God’s ongoing communication with his children.

P.S. While this particular Reflection is oriented to women, my observation is that it applies just as often to men.

Read more Weekly Reflections: Chaplain’s Corner