"It's tough being a woman in another woman's shadow" that is the theme for week one of the Beth Moore Bible study of Esther. I had just started this study of the book of Esther when Kate Middleton and Prince William announced their engagement. The news media covering their engagement keeps "highlighting" the similarities and the differences between Prince Charles and Princess Dianna's engagement and theirs. All I could think of was Yes, Beth it is hard to be in another woman's shadow just as Esther was in the Shadow of the Queen who went before her so is Kate in Princess Dianna's shadow. I can only imagine how hard it must be for Kate to be in the shadow so publicly and to have everyone going over "Everything" bit by bit. Whew! Just thinking about it makes me exhausted! I am just a normal housewife who lives in a small town (though I have been laughing and thinking I might start saying I am from a sleepy little American town after watching all the news coverage of Miss.Kate Middleton.) who lives under the shadow that is cast from society of what a woman is supposed to look like, be like, act like and do. I believe every woman lives with some shadow over them. Sometimes woman live in the shadow of a real woman be it a mother, a mother in-law, a sister, a best friend, an ex-wife. Sometimes the shadow is even imposed on you from strangers. I am a stay at home mom and I love being it! However when I run into acquaintances that I haven't seen in a while, who "work" outside the home, and they ask me "What are you doing now?" and I explain that I am still at home, even though my kids are now in school. I sometimes feel "judged" and deemed less worthy. I know this is how I "feel", and I have been taking it to God and praying about it. (and trying to come up with a better answer -ha!)
I have been working hard to step into the love of God and trust what God says about me. I know that Isaiah 43:4 tells me I am precious to God, I peter 1:18-19 tells I am valuable to God so I choose to believe him, day by day. I know that I am working for his glory even when I am doing the mundane chores around the house since these duties bless my family and those that enter my home.
Do you live in a shadow? How does it make you feel? How do you deal with it?
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