Girly Stuff to Come

My daughter, being recently in love with Fancy Nancy, chose to take her new book for show and tell today. As we were driving to preschool she informed me today that she wished I were more plain. I thought that was a funny request, and asked her what she meant. She continued to say that she wished she could be Fancy Nancy and dress me up, and make me all fancy. But because I already wear fancy stuff she can't do that to me.

I think it's funny because in my mind, I wear the same thing every day. Jeans. Casual top. Shoes. I usually throw my two secret weapons in there. But, similar to my little girl, I've always been the more girly girl of our family. Growing up, I liked having tea parties with my stuffed animals and wearing cute dresses. My sister, on the other hand, probably didn't own a dress, and spent most of her time at our barn riding horses and galavanting around the woods.

So, even though I am so excited that the ACC Tournament is this weekend, I am more excited about going away on a women's retreat with a ton of wonderful women from my church. There will be giggling. There will be celebrating. But more than anything, there will be fellowship.

Even though I've always been girly, I have not always loved the thought of fellowship with other women. There were years that I really did not want to go on retreats like this. Maybe I thought I would be bored. Or unable to spend a weekend away doing what I'd really like to do - eating good food, shopping in boutiques, sleeping in, and watching movies. But under all of those reasons, I think that what intimidated me most was fearing that I would be unknown, rejected, and possibly...unloved. I definitely hid any of those feelings from others, probably too well, but I think that those fears held sway for some years.

Too often in our culture, we sacrifice our relationships with other women. Maybe we feel threatened or judged, or just treated poorly. Maybe we compare ourselves so much that it's just too hard to be around them. Maybe we believe the lie that tells us, that we just get along better with men, and so we don't put time into relationships with women. But over time, I have come to value these relationships more than I ever thought I would. And I have come to see that there is a beautiful strength in those bonds, that can, if nurtured, never be broken.

It seems that we sometimes tend to think that our "girlfriends" were only for our youth. That now that we're older and possibly married, possibly mothers, or just busy women, that we don't really have time for our girlfriends. That those relationships just don't matter enough to really have to put time and effort into. But time and time again, outside of my relationship with my husband, my friends are the ones who have loved and served me, more than anyone else. I would not and could not do life without them. These women, whom I believe Satan would love to keep me from being vulnerable and open with, have become sisters in Christ that I deeply treasure.

As I pack my bag today, I am looking forward to not having to cook or clean this weekend. And I am looking forward to good times with friends. But most of all, I am anticipating growing closer to my sisters in Christ as share life and seek our Father together. If you struggle with opening up to other women, I would say to you to try again. Go on that retreat coming up. Get involved in a women's Bible study or small group. But don't settle for life without the treasure of having "sisters" in your life.