“Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity. “ ~Margaret D. Nadauld
I'm afraid I've lost my patience.
I have lost patience with all the whining, complaining, and boo-hooing about "It's not FAIR!"
(And no, I'm not just talking about the occasional weeping and wailing that goes on by the little girls in my house about why life is "soooo un-FAIR!")
Actually, I do want to explore that complaint for just a second.
Life is Not Fair
I love the phrase "Fair is where you go to see the pigs." A "Fair" is a PLACE, not a principle that applies to our lives.
I use the phrase often in my home with my children. Because it's TRUE!
This very morning, my six year old daughter was scowling with her arms folded, demanding to know why life is NOT fair.
And it made me think, "Why isn't life fair?" Why don't we all have the same problems and blessings? Why aren't we all the same?"
I think if we take that thought all the way down the path it starts on, we can see how awful life would be if we were all just cookie-cutter copies of each other!
*shudder*
Life ain't fair, folks. It's meant to be a difficult test, and each person will have their very own, customized list of inequalities and unfair struggles to deal with. No human being gets a walk in the park, where everything is sunshine and roses all the time. There is always a cost. (Even for sunshine. I live in Arizona; this I know!)
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| My Awesome Grandma N. |
No Whining Allowed
The picture above is of my Grandma. She is in her nineties. When you look up the word "stalwart" in the dictionary, her picture is there!
(Okay, not really, but it should be!)
This woman was raised by her often-single mother through the Great Depression. (My great-grandmother was also a force to be reckoned with! She buried three husbands throughout her life. She raised and supported a houseful of kids. She was AMAZING.)
She learned how to work hard for everything she has ever had. She does not complain about life, she ACTS. The biggest trial in her life right now may be her physical limitations due to her age. She can't stand that she can't do more.
My Grandpa, her husband, has been gone for twelve years. She still lives alone in the house where she raised her eight children, and gathers her great posterity around her. I remember her being a young women leader when I was in young women's. She has been a camp director and mover and shaker her whole life.
And she is a faithful daughter of God, who has never complained about the role of women within the Church.
I have a pretty good idea of what she probably thinks about all the complaining some women are doing about not having the priesthood...
There's a plaque my Grandma has up in her house that she brought home from one of her many treks to Yellowstone Park. It says:
KWITCHERBELYAKIN'
My Grandma doesn't whine and moan about "unfairness." She rolls up her sleeves and goes to work.
And I'm thinking there's some women protesting who should stop complaining and instead do what they can to make their families, homes, neighborhoods, wards, and the world a better place-- using the gifts they have already been given by the Lord.
A Second Witness
And now for my FAVORITE blog post about the so-called "protest" going on this weekend and next. I feel this wonderful lady said all I've wanted to say beautifully and simply, with humility and even a suggested course of action!
From the At Home blog: "The Problem with Priesthood Protests"
I firmly believe if the women in the church were busy doing the callings they've already received, they'd have little desire for the priesthood. Ladies, let's serve where we're planted, and support our brethren in the callings they've received.
Oh, YES! And thank you! We DO have a lot of work to do.
I firmly believe that Satan is distracting the women of the Church with the utter nonsense of whining about what we don't have.
What we need is less griping and whining and more action in building up our families and the Kingdom of God.
There is much for us to do, so let's not complain, but instead get to work, as women of God should!
Just like my intrepid, faithful, stalwart Grandmother.
Love,
