Yes, we ate cinnamon rolls. We also ate Dutch apple pie. Pasta, yes. Quiche? With bacon and cheese? Definitely. We were taking a day together, not attending a nutrition seminar. Food is a woman’s relationship conductor. Some of us do it over the stove, sharing in creations others drool (literally) over. Some do it in the garden, working together to nurture the most amazing edibles. Some do it over the dishes, making sure that once the food has done its work, the space is readied for the next moment of togetherness.
We had spent the night together, talking about the world, our world, the underworld, the upper world and the netherworld. We were honest, sometimes disagreeing, sometimes understanding, sometimes overtaken with emotion.
One thing is for sure. We were authentic.
These gals are the real deal. If you want an opinion, they have one. If you want the truth, they will tell you the truth. Now, do not be misled. Truth is not a synonym for their personal opinions. Truth is based on something bigger, wiser, more loving, kinder, and more powerful than themselves. Truth is nonnegotiable. The sun is hot. The water is wet. The air is necessary for survival. These are truths. The heart wants love. The brain must be stimulated. The world is a place to learn and change and to change one’s mind. These are also truths. No one person gets to decide what is truth. No. Truth has already been decided. It was decided before the creation of the world by a God too far beyond human minds to be completely comprehended. Nonnegotiable. These things are not to be dismissed. Never mind that every soul in the room, including my own, is a gifted teacher and truth is necessary for effective teaching. Truth is truth and necessary for success, no matter what you do.
This makes being with them pure joy. We stand on a solid foundation in every discussion. There is a reference point for every disagreement. There is a place for us to go when we are seeing a subject through completely different lenses. Everyone submits to the truth given by One who knows more than all of us together. It creates unity in diversity.
It is the only way to stay in community with others.
We talked a bit of politics. It was hard. We talked about hurtful things in the world. It was emotional. We talked about future events and current issues. It was sometimes baffling. But we never talked about personal value. That is covered in truth. Every person is made in the image of God. He sets their value. We never talked about personal importance. Every person’s contribution is essential. No one is more than the other. God’s image is not affected by economic, social, or religious status. We did not talk about how much money we make or how big our houses are or how new our automobiles are. Money is not equal to value. God’s image is his image in a Chevy or a Porsche.
Having a standard all must adhere to keeps anyone from determining their opinion is top opinion and allows for ignoring the rest. It’s humbling. These gals are some of the most humble people I know. Not one arrogant word was spoken during our time together. No one tried to outdo, control or overpower anyone else. Loving one another outweighed some pretty deeply intrenched opinions. We learned, I think, from one another. We came away knowing that we are loved by each other no matter what differences of opinion happen within the confines of a truth bigger than us.
Having that standard also kept love in the forefront of all we shared. No one devalued another for a different thought process. Rather, we tried hard to listen, to learn, to respect and to share.
It was beautiful.
In the end, we came to a place of unity in one subject that not only grounds itself in truth, but it also admonishes us to act on what we think.
Women need women.
Duh. I know. That is a platitude.
It is also a truth.
What man gets how cramps feel? What man has ever breast fed? What man understands what it is like to have to make that decision to go gray because at nearly 60 no one is buying the idea that the hair you wear is real? What man understands that some days, when a woman thinks of the love she has for her kin along with the struggles they are all facing, tears are the only way to cope?
Yes. Women need one another. We need to be understood and hugged and loved and helped and kept in the hearts of other women who will drive hours to sit with us when the world falls apart, or who will cry real tears as they pray that the Truth Setter will step in and do something very drastic to make a massive change solely to heal the heart of another woman.
So we decided we are going to do something about that truth. We are going to develop some of those things in our lives, and we are going to find a way to get it to younger women. We will eat with them too. We will cook and clean and care for them. We will teach them the truth that loving one another is the most powerful connector in the universe and that personal opinion is not the determiner of worthiness of love. Truth is.
Yes, we will be doing it over food. After all, it is the best place for a bunch of women to connect.
Come. Let's talk truth.
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