Are You a Hypocrite?

It's Friday night. Your daughter has turned twenty-one. She's done all of the obligatory celebrations with family, and now it's time for her to head out with friends to do what twenty-one year-olds do.

"You remember to never leave your drink unattended, right?" Yes, Mom.

"And never go anywhere alone?" Yes, Mom. "Even the bathroom?" Yes, Mom.

"And your cell phone is fully charged?" Yes, Mom.

"Who's your designated driver?" Not sure yet.

"WHAT?! Young lady! You are NOT leaving this house until you have a designated driver and I know who that is! We have talked about this so many times: the time to plan is--" --before you take your first drink. Yes, Mom, I know. "Well, in this house, it's before you even leave! Call, text, do whatever you have to do to get this settled, NOW! Do you need some extra cash for an Uber?"

It is now Saturday morning. You and your friends are gathering for the Pro-Choice rally at a nearby park. Your sign says in big bold letters: MY BODY, MY CHOICE!

Are you a hypocrite? Maybe you don't follow. It's like this, your daughter has to take precautions to keep herself and others safe. You require her to have those precautions in place prior to engaging in the activity, which as far as you are concerned is before she even leaves the house. You, however, are fighting for a woman's right to decide a course of action after the cause has taken place, you are fighting to remove consequences rather than prevent them --prevention being the thing you are requiring your daughter to adopt. Wouldn't following your own advice be better? Wouldn't it be better to encourage women to take precautions, to be firm in their practices, be they abstinence or birth control? Wouldn't it be more empowering for women to treat their bodies kindly, with more respect, to hold onto their virtue and protect it like the treasure it is? Wouldn't it give a woman autonomy over her body, over her relationships, over her worth to be able to prevent uncomfortable or inconvenient consequences prior to them occurring, rather than to champion a woman being herded through a clinic like a nameless, faceless cash cow, feet in stirrups, naked from the waist down, examined by a total stranger, probed and gutted by a total stranger, sent to a "recovery room" with a lot of other nameless, faceless cash cows, and sent home to... Excess cramping or bleeding? Suspicious family members? Guilt? Regret? Infertility or scarring? Maybe life goes on without a hitch. Maybe you think it was the best decision you ever made. Maybe you go on to have just the right number of children at just the right time each one more beautiful and perfect than the last. And then one Saturday morning, you look at your sign and you realize you are a hypocrite.

THIS! Is Love

It was a cold, rainy morning. My idea of a perfect day! I slid out of bed and into my favorite pair of buttery soft jeans. I hugged myself in my oldest, warmest cardigan. Comfort, I thought. In the kitchen, my husband wrapped his long, strong arms around me in a big squeeze. Security, I thought. As I sat down with my coffee, I inhaled deeply its rich, earthy aroma. Familiar. Taking that first, delicious sip, I noticed Luci standing next to me, her piercing eyes awaiting mine. Loyalty. 

What a precious gift! Normally, my husband rises in darkness, and usually after too few hours of sleep. I tip-toe down the stairs about an hour later, careful not to wake the rest of the house, and I head to the kitchen to pack his lunch. Although a "normal routine" is what I most I longed for when I was working nights, our schedules rarely seeming to coincide, what a gift it is to stray from the routine. In this case, to wake up together and to take our time doing it. 

As wonderful as these rarities are, our generous and loving God is far more wonderful than the things He gives. James 1:17 says:

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Just think about that. Good gifts, perfect gifts come from God. Now, that could mean that good gifts come from God and bad "gifts" come from elsewhere, but that's not exactly where James was going with this. First of all, if it's from God, it's good, it's perfect. Romans 8:28 promises:

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Those of us who call Him Lord have the full assurance that everything He allows is good or will be good --even things that may not appear that way. Secondly, the gifts He gives are meant to draw our attention, our adoration, our gratitude toward Him. God's giving is a reflection of His character. If His gifts are good and perfect, it is because He is, and His character does not change. That's what James was talking about when He says, in God there is no shadow or variation. He doesn't duck in and out like the sun on a cloudy day. He is always good. Sometimes we just have to wait for the big picture to be revealed.

Within moments of taking that first sip, I heard Mom stirring about. Despite my desire for a leisurely start, she was ready to get things moving. I headed downstairs to help her with her morning routine: washing, dressing, making her bed, and back upstairs to the kitchen to get her breakfast. As she savored her first bite of banana bread, a smile spread across her face. In halting speech controlled by a brain searching for words once readily available, she exclaimed, "This! is love." And she is absolutely right.