The Silent Sweeper
Shout praises to our King, sisters!
For He has made the way for us, amen. What a joyous thing to think about every morning when you wake up. It gets your mind on Him instead of self and circumstances. (Yes, I know that's easier said than done sometimes but we are to do that none the less.)
We were in a town a few days ago that offered a place for us to sit outside while working online and enjoying a refillable cup of coffee, the marketplace:-) There was a little, older Mexican woman doing the rounds of cleaning everything from sweeping to mopping, washing tables, chairs and the counters as well as cleaning up the outside area. She did a cycle of it all and then went back and repeated it once it was done. As we were leaving, I went inside to give her a gospel card and told her she was doing a good job. She smiled and her husband (we assume it was him as she talked to him a few times while he sat at a table) did as well.
A meek and quiet spirit came to mind as I watched this foreign woman (who didn't speak much English) quietly work, doing the same things over and over and over. She came to work each day and quietly did what she was supposed to do, a foreigner in this country. (There are a lot of them in this area as there are miles and miles of strawberry fields where they work. I wrote about it called a 'Culture within a Culture, you can read it HERE.)
Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands
1 Peter 3:3-5
It's a rare trait to see, quiet women. We even comment about it later, when a woman is silent when brother Jim is talking to her husband, most calling themselves Christians. Meek and quiet are two attributes that a godly woman is to cultivate and it goes beyond just making our flesh do it. That's how it starts is by zipping our lips and not thinking we have to sway a situation or make ourselves be heard. (I wrote on that as well, Do I Need To Be Heard.) I had to kill a lot of flesh in that area because my recent background (at that time) was in the business world, running meetings and managing various departments in which a woman has to be loud and make herself heard. Not so as a born again, blood bought saint of Christ.
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Revelation 1:5
There were times that I had to literally pinch myself to keep myself from speaking up as I was so excited I wanted to share everything I knew with whoever Jim was talking to. I had to quell a lot of disappointment during my youth in Christ when I realized I was not going to be on the street corner telling everyone about Christ or contending with false teachers. I also had a lot of flesh to kill when it came to our married life because I was very vocal in many areas, especially when there was a disagreement and I knew I was not wrong. (I learned quickly that Isaiah 53 helped me out.)
Over time, and a lot of beating in the flesh, that manner turned into a characteristic that is buried deep inside and has now become a part of me (for the most part, I still have times where I lapse but repent.) You realize that there were women traveling with Jesus and the disciples, right?
And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him,
And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,
And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.
Luke 8:1-3
What do we hear of them through the scriptures? Yep, they were quietly doing what they were to do. I don't see any of them trying to manipulate, coerce, speaking up, rebuking or teaching Jesus and the disciples, do you?
I'm going to remember that little Mexican woman as that is a physical picture of how I want to be. A foreigner in this land (just like a born again believer -1 Peter 2:11), people cannot understand her foreign speech (just as the world doesn't understand the spiritual speech of a godly woman -1 Corinthians 2:14), diligently working (as a godly woman should do unto the Lord -Colossians 3) and then doing it again the next day (just as we need to do every day -Galatians 6:9), trusting that she will get her paycheck if she works until the end of the week (just as we trust in the Lord for the hope of eternal life if we endure - Matthew 24:13).
Almost a year ago I made a video about Meek and Quiet Spirit, you can listen to it HERE.
Brother Jim made an audio about women being silent in the body, seems to be a good spot to put it in this post, you can listen to it HERE.
Much of the devastation and destruction we see in the world is from feminism, of course, it started in the garden with Eve. Saying that may cost me my life someday as I know how rabid feminists can be....I used to be one and promote it. I'm so thankful and grateful for Christ's forgiveness and cleansing by His blood that I will shed my own blood for Him, if the time comes.
Let us all go about our godly lives as the daughters of the Most High God, not bringing reproach to Him, enduring through to the end.
I leave you with these tomato plants I saw outside a store...
For my garden growing sisters who are probably already looking at seeds and planning the next planting...for those who are in the cold climates. Those in warmer climates are probably harvesting or close to it:-)
I love you all....march on sister saints.
Sister Deb
The biblical gospel...
https://www.dontperish.com/the-gospel.html