THE SPECIAL GIFT OF WOMEN

Genesis 2:21So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, He took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh.

I have often wondered why God put the man to sleep while He created woman. I wonder even more what they might have talked about during that sacred time. The Bible doesn’t tell us how long the man was asleep or what that time was like.

But I have my own theory. Woman—womb of man—must have received a significant charge from God. God’s creation would now be responsible for the continuation of mankind. All life would come through woman. She would be the first to feel the gentle flutter of life growing and developing within her body. She would bond with that new being for nearly a year as it formed feet, ears, hands, and toes. All of that human’s organs—most especially its heart—would come to life within her. As her belly grew, the life within would feed from her nutrients.

God knew she would be the one to embody reason and wisdom. Proverbs refers to wisdom in the feminine form, and I believe that wisdom was imparted by God during that time.

Woman—the nurturer, the caretaker of her family, the fierce lioness. God knew she would defend her child to the depths of her soul.

Sometimes it’s hard to be a woman. We carry so much of the burden for our families. We spend so much time caring for others that we often forget ourselves. We have this tireless sense of responsibility to make sure everything, and everyone is okay.

We are the cooks. We are the cleaners. We wipe the snotty noses and kiss all the booboos. We listen to the raging emotions of teenagers. We pack up our children and escort them to basketball, football, cheerleading, and choir—often after working all day or managing the home from dawn until dusk. But the day never stops for a woman. Low sleep, empty bellies, and tired feet don’t stop us from embracing the role of mother.

We adorn our men with admiration and acknowledgment. We stoke their egos after the world deflates them. We kiss their cheeks and protect their hidden vulnerabilities. We give them our bodies to soothe their aches. We allow them to enter our intimate spaces—to release their fears and frustrations.

We are the real soldiers. We are the Harriet Tubmans who carry our people to freedom in the dark of night, no matter the danger. We are the Sojourner Truths who deposit knowledge and advocate for liberty.

We are the Maya Angelous whose gifts of words bring solace and meditation to soothe the soul. We are the Geraldine Judiths—like my mother—whose 5’1” frame towered over giants to protect her young. Whose fifth-grade education never limited her wisdom or determination to break down systems of oppression, allowing her voice to echo in rooms of scholars in defense of the wronged.

We are the Beverly Alston who stood boldly against powers that sought to belittle or intimidate the least of them. The mothers who created homes for their children in the midst of racism and prejudice. The mothers who imparted strength, determination, and truth into their daughters so that no one could ever make them feel less than who they were.

We are Jesus’ ambassadors—the first to feel His heartbeat and the first to witness His resurrection.

My sisters, my friends, we are the unsung sheroes who receive the least notoriety for our sacrifices. Yet it is my belief that God knew this all along. He built us to withstand the battle. He whispered a secret in our ears that even we have yet to unfold.

So, my prayer to all women is this: continue the fight.

Don’t grow weary in well-doing. Know that our God has deposited all the gifts we need to finish the work.

As you sit on the edge of your bed, wondering how you’ll get through another moment, know that the answers were given to us in the beginning—and that God will complete the work He has begun in us.