Ch. 3 'Haunted by a Question'

Hello Sweet Ladies!
Before we dig into this chapter let's invite our Abba God in first.
Sweet Father, I ask you into our discussion here. I thank you for looking at us with love not judgement and I ask that you let each of us feel that love here and now. You are the definition and the living example of perfect love and we are so thankful for it. I ask that you lead our hearts and our words and that with your help we will all have a greater understanding of you when we leave here. Thank you Lord!
Amen.

I will be taking our questions from the workbook as always and I'll throw in my own now and then too! :) Fair warning: These are some tough questions that she asks and I think that is the best part. I will answer honestly here and hope that you will feel safe enough to do so yourself; if not here (in 'public') then somewhere safe for you. These answers are for your heart and God's above all else. :)

First, as you look back over the chapter, what struck you? Did you highlight anything? What did it speak to your heart?

"Every woman in the core of her being is haunted by Eve. She knows, if only when she passes a mirror, that she is not what she was meant to be. We are more keenly aware of our own shortcomings than anyone else. Remembering the glory that was once ours awakens my heart to an ache that has long gone unfulfilled. It's almost too much to hope for, too much to have lost. Are you aware of your own beauty? (Your possess it, dear one. You do.) How did you feel exploring Eve in the last chapter?"

"How does your fallen nature most often reveal itself?" "With what do you tend to indulge yourself?"

"Why do so few women have anything close to a life of romance? Loneliness and emptiness are far more common themes--so entirely common that most women buried their longings for romance long ago and are living now merely to survive, get through the week. ."
"Are you aware of loneliness deep within your heart?"

"Can you relate to my lipstick story? Are you aware of the ways in which you hide, trying not to be 'seen'?"

"When the world was young and we were innocent---both man and woman--we were 'naked and unashamed'(Gen. 2:25NKJV). Nothing to hide. Simply...glorious. And while the world was young and we too, were young and beautiful and full of life, a corner was turned. Something happened which we have heard about but never fully understood.
We fell.
The woman was convinced. The fruit looked so fresh and delicious, and it would make her so wise! So she ate some of the fruit. She also gave some to her husband who was with her. Then he ate it too(Gen 3:6 NLT).
The woman was convinced. Convinced of what? She was convinced that God was holding out on her. Convinced she could not trust his heart toward her. In order to have the life she believed she needed, she was convinced she must take matters into her own hands. And so she did."
"Look into your own heart. Ask God to gently show you where you have this tendency as well."

"Eve failed as Adam's ezer kenegdo. Rather than bringing him life, she invited him his death. And Adam failed Eve as well. He offered not his strength but his silence; not his protection but his passivity. Have you seen this played out in your life? Seen it this week? Last night?"

"Fallen Eve controls her relationships. She refuses to be venerable. . .". ". . .as C.S. Lewis said, 'Who live for others. You can tell the others by their haunted expression." "In what ways are you a controlling, dominating woman?"

Question from Kandice: Have you been on the other side of that coin and been 'desolate'? What does that look like in your own life?

"What would it be like to ask those you love and live with, what you are like to live with? Or to ask your friends, how they experience you as a woman? Too risky? Pray about it. It can be a very scary thing to do but also a very enlightening thing as well."

"Every woman knows now that she is not what she was meant to be. And she fears that soon it will be known--if it hasn't already been discovered--and that she will be abandoned. Left alone to die a death of the heart. That is a woman's worst fear-abandonment. Take a moment. Underneath, in the deepest recesses of your heart. . . .is this fear there? The fear that you will end up abandoned and alone?"

"Take a moment and invite God in. Into the places in your heart where you feel you need to hide or control or indulge in order to be safe and well. Ask him to speak to you about these places...and to give you the courage to begin to trust him with your life in ever deeper ways."
"Let's close our time today with prayer.
Dear God, merciful God. I need your help. Please forgive me for the ways that I choose to live that have nothing to do with trusting you. Please come for me. Reveal to me the ways that I live that are not pleasing to you and grant me the grace of a deep and true repentance. Please speak to my deep heart where I need to hear from you. How do you see me? Am I lovely to you? I give you permission to have your way with me. Reveal to me more of who you are God and who I am to you. Thank you. In Jesus' name. Amen."

OK I know I say this a lot with this book but WOW! This are some real revaluations for me and I am so thankful to have you all along with me! My prayer for you sweet ladies is that our Loving Father is speaking to your heart in a very personal and precious way. I know that he rejoices in this time with you His most precious daughter and so do I! Looking forward to our discussion!
With Love,
Kandice