Learning From Mrs. Cardinal

Yesterday, Joshua and I were looking through an old issue of Birds and Bloom, and we came across a picture of a sweet brown bird. Joshua exclaimed, "Look, a girl cardinal!" He was correct, it was a female cardinal. He then told me all about how boy cardinals are bright beautiful red, and the girls are a pretty brown color.

I thought about that a bit. I thought about how male peacocks are so beautiful, and the females so much simpler looking. I thought about how male lions have their big fancy looking manes, and the females are again much more plain. Isn't it so interesting how often times in nature, the males are the "showy" ones, but with people it's the other way around?

"In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;" 1 Timothy 2:9

I wonder how it is that we have gone so far away from God's ways. Why do we, as women, feel such pressure to be beautiful? Why do we feel the need to outshine our husbands?

It seems like such an unheard of idea for women to be content in their roles as the weaker vessel, as the quiet helper for her husband. Society tells us we should want more than that, we should crave the attention of the world around us, we should desire beauty. The very idea of being created to be a helpmeet is offensive to most! How did we come so far away from God's plan for us?

I am constantly amazed at the amount of feminism that has managed to creep into my life. I have never had the desire to be anything other than wife, mother and homemaker, and yet, I can find the traces of "what about me?" in my life. I want to be seen as successful, and beautiful. I want "my time".

This can be a sometimes blurry issue. Obviously, as mothers, we do need to take proper care of ourselves. We need to get enough rest, we need to take time to make sure our appearance is neat and tidy. We need time for prayer, and study, and we should pursue activities that encourage and edify us. I think this can all become selfishness though if we are not careful to make sure that our priorities are in the proper order.

I had a little battle with these feelings this week. My husband was recognized in a meeting at work for his success. He got to walk on stage and will receive a nice award. I was so happy for him, and so proud of the hard work that he does to make sure that his family is well cared for, but I have to admit a twinge of envy. No matter how hard I work, I'm not likely to receive a "Housewife of the Year" award. I'm not going to get a trophy or plaque and be called up in front of all of my fellow housewives and be told how great I am. Don't get me wrong, I get a lot of appreciation from my family, and even from my friends. But there was that twinge...

I find the female cardinal to be beautiful. I doubt she sits around being jealous that her mate is so much prettier than she. I doubt she longs for gorgeous red feathers. I doubt she feels slighted that people notice her mate and not her. Can I follow Mrs. Cardinal's example? Can I be content with being the simple brown bird?

With Love,