Can we talk about calling a truce with one another—with our men—and finding ourselves again? Let’s talk about acknowledging and learning to celebrate this simple fact—men and women are different. I long for all women to sink back into the glorious place of truly being women in the same way I long for a hot bath when all of my muscles are screaming. The warmth of the water closes over my limbs like a liquid blanket, wrapping itself around me, becoming intimate with every part of me. I do not recoil from this. Rather, I embrace it because it sets me free from pain, free from the struggle I’ve endured all day long. It defies my further efforts to stay afloat all by myself in the world. It gently invites me to let go. Let go of all I think I should be. Let go of the demands of others. Let go and just be. Just be a woman. Naked and unashamed. Warm and soft. Content in my liquid cocoon. Relaxed and unthreatened. Just a woman—lost in the oasis of being me. Ladies, can we talk—I mean really talk—about where we went wrong? Can we talk without shouting?
“I am woman, hear me roar…” Well, I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to roar or go to war! I believe I can speak in a normal tone and still be heard. That I can stand perfectly still and manage to get things done. That I can influence rather than provoke, inspire rather than challenge. That I can affect a nation from my home. That I can move mountains with my faith. Why? Because God said so! Yes, girlfriend, it’s time to get this thing right, not just for the sake of your own joy level but also for the peaceful state of that which emanates from your personal kingdom, your home, your job, your church, your community, your city, your state, your nation. Your stake in eternity. Your investment in God’s economy. You see, for every action you can expect a reaction, like a pebble tossed in a pond that causes ripples far beyond you. So pull up a chair and sit down, honeychile. It’s time to talk—woman-to-woman.
EXCERPT FROM MICHELLE MCKINNEY HAMMOND’S POWER OF BEING A WOMAN
