When Control Comes Marching In

{This post is part of the Five Minute Friday with Kate Motaung. A community of writers who write for five minutes on the word of choice. Today's word: control.} 

Days after the inauguration of the 45th President and there's still brewing in the air a sense of strife and opposition. 

You can't click on the news or scroll a feed without reading messages that make the skin crawl or hear words spoken aloud that give life to your otherwise silent voice box in retaliation. 

What the worlds like now and what it will be like in another twenty years who knows only God. 

All I know is that prayer can make more changes than a march of thousands of women who herald themselves as brave fighters when the bravest of women are those on their knees crying out for the sanctity of life and for the souls of those truly oppressed across borders who have no voice. 

And they see our voice. 

The voice of thousands of women wearing vulgar hats, holding up signs of ill will, nodding their heads and shouting their taunts of how they need what they need, of how it's not good enough what they have, of how they want that choice but won't give it to their own creation. 

These oppressed women see our free women and wonder where are there chains? Where are their covered heads? Where are their scarred backs and tied hands? Where are their controlling religions? Where are their silenced mouths? What suffers plague their flesh? 

This march. 

Maybe it's all about control.

How we as women may feel like we're losing it when what's really needed is a little bit of self-control.

Freedom is not the absence of control but the embodiment that self control should govern our freedoms.


Great women of long ago were known for doing great things gracefully. 

That's what set women apart. 

We could accomplish something great by actually doing nothing at all or very little. 

The very beginnings of Women's Suffrage and rights began with a weekly publication that later turned into Susan B. Anthony becoming arrested as she simply casted her vote.

Rosa Parks could sit still on a seat and not budge yet she moved mountains by her stilled presence alone.

The fear of losing control can draw thousands of women to march, but when women realize that control is really not theirs, that it belongs only to the One who measures the earth in the palm of his hand and who holds the seas and oceans in his grip, who knows every hair on our head and every thought and deed, control is then something we don't crave, but instead we cling to the One on the cross.  

We give it up to him and instead gather up all the grace and give thanks.   

16 comments:

  1. May we be women of both strength and dignity, boldness and grace. :-)

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    1. Katie, you are so right! May we be clothed in His goodness and grace!

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  2. The Women's March saddened me also. I am praying for a clear message of the sanctity of life with the March for Life that takes place tomorrow. It is so important for our young people to hear good news about healthy sexuality, the joy of children. I am encouraged by the Students for Life movement. Have a blessed weekend.

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    1. Carol, I was completely torn apart watching the Women's March! The March for Life was a true example of how to proclaim a point with peace and respect. Thank you for visiting!

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  3. Great post, Bonnie. Reminds me of something I read in one of Norman Vincent Peale's book..."Discipline is the price you pay for freedom."

    #1 at FMF this week.

    http://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/2017/01/your-dying-spouse-264-theres-still-work.html

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    1. Amen, Andrew!! I love the quote. Thank you for stopping by!

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  4. Wow, this is powerful! Thanks so much for writing this. I especially loved these quotes:

    "...prayer can make more changes than a march of thousands of women who herald themselves as brave fighters when the bravest of women are those on their knees crying out for the sanctity of life and for the souls of those truly oppressed across borders who have no voice."

    "The fear of losing control can draw thousands of women to march, but when women realize that control is really not theirs, that it belongs only to the One who measures the earth in the palm of his hand and who holds the seas and oceans in his grip, who knows every hair on our head and every thought and deed, control is then something we don't crave, but instead we cling to the One on the cross."

    I wrote something this week with similar undertones. (Here's a link in case you're interested. https://www.reviveourhearts.com/true-woman/blog/my-own-womens-march-kitchen/)

    If you tweet from these quotes, I'd love to retweet you. :)

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    1. Hi Shannon, Thank you for your encouraging words, they're much appreciated! I read your article, "The Women's March in the Kitchen" and I couldn't help but love the humorous undertone to it. I have been in those exact situations too many times. One of the quotes that stook out to me, that gave much insight is when you wrote, "..My culture may cheer me on when I’m pushy, independent, demanding, and domineering, but when I turn on my heel and bring those attitudes to my marriage or other relationships, I inevitably drive in wedges." Amen to this. I look forward to reading your book. I'm in great need of control repair! Thank you for your offers to retweet my quotes. I will tweet them even though I'm not much of tweeter yet but I'm learning. Thank you again.

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  5. Ahhh, Bonnie. What a powerful post. And what an amazing reminder of the power of presence. We don't need to push and force our ways/opinions on others. Sometimes, just showing up speaks far more than words ever could.

    And this: "Freedom is not the absence of control but the embodiment that self control should govern our freedoms." My head was nodding yes and amen. It's so interesting to me that grip control so tightly within our fists, when really, it's not ours. We fear it's loss because we don't know what'll happen next if we're not "in control." It's such a conundrum. I'm so very thankful to be on personal terms with the One who really has control of all things. There's rest in that.

    Thanks for this post!

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    1. Jeanne, I am glad you liked it! I agree.. "the fear of loss because we don't know what will happen next".. I feel this way to often and I need to turn my mind to the Creater and give him the control. Thanks for stopping by!

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