It's Tough Being a Woman

:::The Study of Esther:::

On Thursday mornings I've been going to a local church for a Beth Moore Bible study of the book of Esther. I'm surprised at home much I'm enjoying the study! Especially the time I've spent studying the book of Esther at home. Usually I find it difficult to really delve into the Bible...I want to be in love with the Word, but without guidance I find it hard to read and find applications in the text for my daily life. But, with a little guidance from Beth Moore's 'Esther' study book I've been really excited about spending time reading the Bible! How awesome is that?!? There are five days worth of studies in the book to do on your own between each group study, and I'm wishing that there were more! I'm already done with my studies for Thursday and I'm feeling a little sad. :)

SO, one IMPORTANT thing that I learned from this week's study is this: 'It's Tough Being a Woman' (the theme of the Beth Moore study) IN ANOTHER WOMAN'S SHADOW. True. Either you're in the SHADOW of a seemingly PERFECT woman or you're in the SHADOW of a VICIOUS woman. I think we've all experienced BOTH. I've particularly been affected by the mean and vicious women. Just people you run into along the path of life...would-be friends, co-workers, your boss, etc. They just lash out, they go on a power trip, they take advantage of someone else's false belief that they are inferior. And when I learned that I thought, 'Wow, so that's what that was!' BUT, those difficult experiences that we've all been through in the SHADOW of another woman, GOD works through those situations, using them to build us into WOMEN we'd never otherwise become! How amazing God is!

I know I've learned a lot and grown as a person - a woman as God has worked in me through situations that would otherwise have just been negative. When other women acted hurtfully towards me, God's worked in me - through a long, hard process - to show me how to understand where they might be hurting or feeling insignificant and how to show LOVE in return.

God is GOOD! For more information on Beth Moore's Bible studies (which are something not to be missed), check out www.lifeway.com/women