The Need for a Shield
To find the richest,sweetest, and most lovely products of nature you would look in a park, a forest, or a garden. We would find flowers and trees of all shapes, kinds and smells. It is awesome. In order for these wonders of nature to grow and flourish it is vital they have an environment conducive to their success. Where harsh heat and winds rage or where arctic blizzards blow their presence is not enjoyed. Additionally these wonders aren’t concerned with making their enviroment suitable, fightting of the wind and the heat of warming the air around them. They can’t flourish without a suitable environment. In the same way femininity thrives in a safe environment.
All of these products of nature grow in an environment that is suited towards health and growth. Their success is a result of a climate that is safe and is protecting them from influences whose consequences bring them harm and destruction.
These flowers and trees are not protecting themselves. As a matter of fact there is no need for “self -protection.” The protection comes from the environment around them. It is their shield that helps them thrive where they are planted.
In the same a woman who allows her feminine nature to guide her will not seek to protect herself, but rely upon others for protection. She may ask the question, “am I going to fight and defend myself here” or am I going to look for a Defender. Sadly, because of the failure of men to physically or emotionally protect women within their influence, women can get caught in the trap of self defense and as a result the pervasive influence of the feminine nature is reduced.
Self protection feels like the only option. This is sad, but I know it is true. We live in a society where women are expected to blaze their “own” trail. Make a mark in society. And I by product of course to blazing your own trail is it comes with the hazards and necessity of self- defense. A necessity to be a vigilant “protector” of the self. Becoming Should Because self- protection is not a component of femininity. Just like a beautiful flower does not protect itself but relies upon its environment.
Self protection is a deterrent to femininity. Because it involves a focus away from the nurturing of others. The more focused on self protection the less feminine. The more time- and energy given to self-protection the more the focus is taken off of the feminine nature. The nature of divine design.
So the Really Big question is what if I can’t trust my enviroment for protection?
Four options:
- You can self protect, fight for yourself, your rights, your success, your well being, oppose and remove those who cause pain. Exchanging the feminine for the masculine. (collateral damage to yourself)
- You can search for a protector. Fathers, husbands,uncle, pastor, counselor- somewhere out there is a man who will stick up for you and help you. Be smart, use your intelligence, be careful and cautious in your choice but remember the masculine nature is wired to protect and it gives them a sense of fulfillment in life.There are times in the home environment where the one who is suppose to defend is the one attacking. Ultimately to navigate these difficult and painful situations staying true to your nature will require “Faith” in the ultimate defender God himself. (He will let these trials test your faith to the utter most-even to test your trust in Him- and remember God uses pain as a tool to purify and shape us into something beautiful, so if he allows pain and there is no “good” way out without collateral damage to others… My advice is to bear up and plead your case to the ultimate defender and be patient and wait. (life threatening cases excluded) where He promises to rescue those who call upon him and trust him. God himself has masculine characteristics. To protect and defend. He enjoys being trusted and relied upon to come to the rescue! (in our timing sometimes he is slow and allows alot of pain but looking back this pain has incredible life changing characteristics for the good). But if we call we need to be ready to come under His influence. He can get a little jealous if we play games with him. If we call we need to be willing to allow Him to Not just be our protector but be our God. But sometimes, in our temporal view, He is a little slow because He wants to test our trust and reliance on Him to see if we will be true.
- You can seek a new environment. Break ties with the current environment, ie transplant yourself . To do this without involve option #1 is tricky. If there is a promise of covenantal bond involved you are breaking your word, (collateral damage), and if you are removing a father’s masculine influence ( always tainted) in the lives of your children, you are removing important nutrients for their success in life. To remove important or potential ingredient for the ultimate success in your children’s lives is against the feminine nature.
- Use your femininity to change the current environment into one that protects you better. (again to do this requires, also requires the added element of, faith) in a personal God your ultimate shield. who: cares about the best… end result for your life). Without this ultimate trust it is impossible to endure its requirements and maintain sanity. This process is costly. It can take you to the point of laying down every fear, every dream, every hope, and every ounce of pride, you ever had. It involves the ultimate “dying to yourself“, so that new life and dreams can be created. Every lower-order voice will scream at you: don’t do it! No way you are crazy! However, the higher order voices will say, ” ah ha you have found the secret path to ultimate and lasting glory”. Like a seed falling from a tree, getting buried in the earth, only to spring up with new life in due season. This process is beneficial. This action is, not only is free of collateral damage but also, enhances your femininity with a higher level of life changing power. It does not mean you are a doormat, but instead, a purposeful, resourceful, intelligent and giving human being.
You are willing to nurture your agitant into something better.
Which includes asking God for his intervention as you humble yourself before Him and your agitant. Does this require pain and suffering? Absolutely. Does it produce the best and most life changing results in everyone who witnesses it? Absolutely. Will it be what is best for the children? absolutely. Remember this. Pain and suffering are what God uses to burn away our own impurities so we can become either truly Masculine (men) or truly feminine (women).
I must note here. We view success as something tangible and immediate.
This is not what I call success.
Enduring Hardships
Enduring hardships over long periods of time, without immediate relief, creates a sweet fragrance of suffering, that acts like a high grade fertilizer in the lives of those closest to us. Most notable our children.
Getting to the “end” of ourselves is not a bad option. Our “rock-bottoms can be the place where we can lay down our own strength and take on a higher strength.
On the other hand we can show them a negative example of what a quitter, and vow breaker, and a faithless person looks like while at the same time communicating to those around us….God cannot be trusted to turn a dark situation into something better if we patiently trust Him. Letting him “weed” out of our own lives all the garbage and self interest that pollute.
The answer: Let someone else hold the shield. Let someone else carry the responsibility of protection and defending. the beauty of femininity was “never” designed to defend against or endure harsh attacks. It can pull back, it can shy away, it can steer cleer, it can make wise and intelligent choices to continue to nurture “everyone” within her influence.
But to take up “arms” to defend? No-way.
This is not the designed nature of femininity.
It is the Nature of Masculinity. Don’t be confused.
By all means you can take up “arms” and defend. But know this…that is the role of the Masculine nature.
My advice. Let someone else do it for you. Your true nature will be compromised. Thus your ability to nurture will be compromised.
You put your most valuable assets where it is “safe”. You put your jewels in safe deposit boxes, expensive paintings in galleries, and our best generals in the pentagon. All places that offer protection from adversaries whose intentions are to steal or kill. In the same way femininity and the the power of nurture are “life changing” valuable commodities that can’t be given a price. And the tragedy is we leave it unprotected to get stolen or diverted or killed. All design for the purpose of genocide. To completely wipe out the nurturing nature on earth. to get stolen of killed.
To be true an live with the singular purpose to fully utilize the nature that you were created to embrace will reap your greatest “lasting” influence. You can have “impact” and influence in life: however, as a woman to produce the “greatest” impact will be to not sell out, set aside, or let go of your feminine nature. The seeds planted by your feminine nature will grow into much larger and lasting forests of contentment and blessing for you and for the world.
The lie is the seeds you sow by setting aside your femininity will be great. But although they may grow to a great height, they won’t last, and they will be empty of life. And the collateral damage among those who needed your focus and nurture will be great indeed.
garden where the climate is safe. Not harsh, extreme, cold, open to strong and vicious element of nature. But open in a field, in warm weather, in soft soil, close to water. This is where beautiful things can grow.