We Are Enough

We live in a world that would have us believe that, as women, we are less than.  That our inherent natures, our divinely designed gender roles are not enough. That we need to do and be so much more than the heavy burdens and responsibilities we already carry.   It is not enough.  WE are not enough.

The world would love to see us feel threatened by the power and majesty a man is capable of.  It would tell us that if we are not afforded the same opportunities men are, it must be because somebody thinks we are weak.

Let me tell you something:  I have never felt more empowered than I do when I am able to truly be my husbands' "helpmeet".  I have never felt stronger than I do when I am able to be what he needs me to be.  I have never felt more beautiful than I do when I am nurturing, nursing, caring for this good man of mine.  It is honorable, not degrading, to serve and love our husbands.  

I see the power I have when the fruits of my efforts to teach and mold my son show up on his face as he carefully thinks about the consequences between a good and bad decision.  I feel so very beautiful when my sweet baby girl looks adoringly up at me as I rock her at night.  She reaches her sweet little hand up to my mouth and my heart is instantly flooded with a love beyond any earthly comparison as my lips kiss the palm of her hand.  I feel strong when my son has run too far away at the park and I see him stop in his tracks hearing his boundaries in my voice.

The world wants to take away the very qualities in us that make us powerful, strong, unique and beautiful and at the same time take away the honor and responsibilities of our men.  To distort our view of the feminine qualities to make them seem subordinate.  To ever so slowly, ever so slyly, chip away at the things that make our men powerful, strong, unique and stalwart.

I see such greatness and nobility in my husband when I step aside and allow him to "protect, provide and preside" over our family.  Part of his divinely designed role is the responsibility to hold the priesthood, the ability to act in the name of God to help and serve others. Why would I ever want to take that away from him?!  I LOVE watching him be the man he was designed to be!

I love looking to my husband for guidance as he has become my hero over the last ten years.  I love seeing the adoration, confidence and comfort our kids find in him.  I love watching him use the power of the priesthood with pure intent, increasing faith and humility toward our Heavenly Father.

The strength inside my husband does not make me feel weak.  He wasn't designed to make me feel threatened or less than.  We were designed to complement each other - to use our individual strengths to lift, strengthen and fuel each other.  Together we are powerful beyond measure.

Together we share the responsibility to raise our children in love and righteousness - to lead by example in teaching them to love and serve others.  How do we do that if we are constantly struggling for the upper hand?   We cannot expect our children to love and serve others when we are wrapped up in ourselves and our own pride.

"By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners." (The Family - A Proclamation to the World).

God created men and women separate and distinct.  He created us as different crucial parts working together toward the same goal.

If I have learned anything in the last six months, I have learned that our Heavenly Father has a purpose in each and everything He does.  Each characteristic, each responsibility has a divine purpose in making us who He needs us to be, who we were destined to be.

I am not saying that, as women, some of our roles should not be outside the home.  I am saying that those decisions should not be made out of fear, feelings of inadequacy  or desires to be the reigning and supreme gender.  They are decisions that should be made with the direction and assurance of our Father in Heaven.   He knows us.  He loves us.  He wants to see us all achieve our divine destiny.  If we listen, He will guide us there.

We will notice a distinct difference in the way we feel and the people we become when the spirit of the Holy Ghost is fueling our direction than we do when the adversary does.

I think it's time we embrace who we are and stop worrying about who we are not.  It's time to walk tall, to stand proud and show the world who we are destined to be!

We are daughters of a Heavenly king.  We are mothers.  We are wives.  We are daughters.  We are sisters. We are friends.

We serve.  We teach. We guide. We nurture.  We love.  We provide solace.

We strengthen our homes and our families as we exemplify "faith, divine nature, individual worth, knowledge, choice and accountability, good works, integrity, and virtue." (Young Women Theme)

We are beautiful.  We are strong.  We are powerful.  We are enough.