Captivating

I am currently reading a book by Stasi Eldredge entitled Captivating: Unveiling The Mystery of A Woman's Soul. I want to exhort every woman who is reading my blog to PLEASE read this book, ASAP! This book has been such a blessing in my life in so many ways.

Our women's group at church is currently studying this book together on Tuesday nights and watching the accompanying DVD's and the study guide. It is amazing how the Lord is using this book to pierce our female hearts and lead us into the truth of who women really are.

This book is NOT a "how to be a good mom, wife or woman" book. I have read far too many of those and have decided to stick solely with the Word of God for that advice. Often, we can be led astray by various teachings which seek to lump all women into one category or "type" of woman or another. This book does no such thing. This book is an exploration of the soul of a woman, the way God created women and what He put inside of us from creation.

Reading this book is a refreshing change to the many self-help, Christian books for women. So many of those left me feeling like more of a failure as a mom, wife and woman than I already did before! But not Captivating...

Below is an excerpt which I found poignant:

I know I am not alone in this nagging sense of failing to measure up, a feeling of not being good enough as a woman. Every woman I've ever met feels it -- something deeper than just the sense of failing at what she does. An underlying, gut feeling of failing at who she is. I am not enough, and, I am too much at the same time. Not pretty enough, not thin enough, not kind enough, not gracious enough, not disciplined enough. But too emotional, too needy, too sensitive, too strong, too opinionated, too messy. The result is Shame, the universal companion of women. It haunts us, nipping at our heels, feeding on our deepest fear that we will end up abandoned and alone.

After all, if we were better women -- whatever that means -- life wouldn't be so hard. Right? We wouldn't have so many struggles; there would be less sorrow in our hearts. Why is it so hard to create meaningful friendships and sustain them? Why do our days seem so unimportant, filled not with romance and adventure but with duties and demands? We feel unseen, even by those who are closest to us. We feel unsought-- that no one has the passion or courage to pursue us, to get past our messiness to find the woman deep inside. And we feel uncertain -- uncertain what it means to be a woman; uncertain what it truly means to be feminine; uncertain if we are or ever will be.

Aware of our deep failings, we pour contempt on our own hearts for wanting more. Oh, we long for intimacy and for adventure; we long to be the Beauty of some great story. But the desires set deep in our hearts seem like a luxury, granted only to those women who get their acts together. The message to the rest of us -- whether from a driven culture or a driven church -- is try harder.

Powerful isn't it? Can you relate? Feel free to comment and tell me your thoughts.