White Gloves And A Pocketbook

First, I apologize at how long it has been since my last entry. I have been changing a few things in my life that needed my undivided attention. One of them being, a new job. I thank God for it. Its like I have been in a bubble for the last 7 years. While that has been good for my writing and art work, it was a rude awakening as to how things have drastically changed. When I tell these things to other people, they look at me as if I was locked in a cave somewhere,"Where have you been?" You see, in my former position, I was a resident live in manager for a senior community. Even on my time off, I was still in the building where I resided. Where was I going to go? I never knew that were things happening around me that I wasn't aware of. Oh, I guess I should mention, I didn't have a car in that time either. So now you see, it was as if I was in a bubble.

Anyway, during that time a video came across my timeline on Facebook. It wasn't anything spectacular for the average viewer but for me, it spoke volumes. It reminded me of a time when women guarded their identity yet they either didn't tell their daughters or as time continued, their daughters didn't value the advice of their mothers'. I suppose that's why scriptures tell us that in the last days their would be conflict with the parents and their children. Why? Why is the advice so tainted? Why was it held in such high esteem at one time and not so much anymore?

In the senior community for all of that time, I waited for some of the residents to bestow upon me all of that wisdom that was hidden in the lines and wrinkles of their faces and behind their eyes (Proverbs 2:10 AMP). I watched and spoke to them on many occasions. As I did, I saw that I learned more from them in the things they didn't say then those things they were trying to convey (James 1:19 AMP). I saw that prejudice and bigotry was trying to stay hidden but couldn't help itself when tempers flared or the individual didn't get his/her way. I saw that having a "senior moment" to gain pity is a behavior learned when she used to have all of the young men doing her bidding for her (Psalm 146:3 AMP). I saw the older men that was supposed to teach the younger about holding the door open for the young lady (or woman) doesn't even bother; and allowing for women and children to go first is a thing of the past (Titus 2:1 AMP). If a man in his senior years don't do those good things that he did when he was 20, he never wished to have done them at all. I didn't like learning that lesson.

In watching this video, I saw the expression of this same woman being made up in the different fashions that changed according to the times. She liked being feminine wearing her gloves and pocket book. She liked wearing the flower dresses and pearl earrings...and then came the 70's. Her smile changed and so did the gloves and pocketbook. For the first time in all of the fashions, she ditched it and never came back to it. Did the woman make the changes in her life that drastically changes the outlook of the nuclear family? Did a woman get that ball rolling? What made the difference in her life that revolutionized fashion, a generation, an attitude, and her identity?

What does this have to do with Christian dating? I ask that in many of these entries because it is as if I can hear you thinking that as you are reading this. The thing is, many of us as women have some idea what we would like out of the life that has been given to us. however, we change. We grow and move from the ideas and thoughts we used to have to where we are today. Most of the time, in Christ, this is good. Why do I write, most of the time? Because, just like men, we fight change. We aren't looking at the bigger picture but only what we want right now. If you notice in the video, it didn't take long for women to stop looking happy and start to incorporate a persona first looking like a hooker: hard before going back to being feminine; but ending the video much like one made for the man. Hmm. Do we really have to go through a hard time for happiness?

Notice that when a seed grows, it has to discard the hard outer surface before it can germinate into a plant, then the fruit can grow (Mark 4:26-29 AMP). The Word tells us that the righteous are like trees planted by the river (Psalm 1:1-3 AMP). This tells me that God has made the provision, all we have to do is grow. It would seem for a small portion of our lives, its not going to be pleasant...but look how far we have come.