Writing in the 1970s, the author Ruth Adams chronicled the changing role of women in the twentieth century. Woman born at the turn of the century could have lived through two periods when it was her moral duty to devote herself, obsessively, to her children; three when it was her duty to society to neglect them; two when it was right to be seductively ''feminine''; and three when it was a pressing social obligation to be the reverse. Three separate periods in which she was a bad wife, mother and citizen for wanting to go out and earn her own living, and three others when she was an even worse wife, mother and citizen for not being eager to do so.
Reading this, is it any wonder why women today are confused about their role in life? Bear in mind that the last 30-40 years since this was written have seen increasingly bizarre pressures placed on the female sex. We could perhaps add, being unhealthily thin, modeling our lifestyle on vacuous celebrities, dressing like a sex object, being a career woman, "having it all", being a domestic goddess and owning every new gadget and several pieces of designer gear as a start. One wonders if we will have found any kind of equilibrium in another 50 years.
It's dizzying! Our challenge as women is to figure out our unique gifts, and what Scripture says about our role. And then to GO FORTH, for His glory. (or Just Do It, as the Nike commercial says.) Easier said than done. :~D
Posted by: e-Mom | 23 September 2009 at 06:46 PM
Sounds like an interesting book.
Posted by: Susan | 23 September 2009 at 07:58 PM