By: Annagail Lynes
A couple of weeks ago, I perused the news headlines when I came across this odd story, “Texas Schools Scrap ‘Cross-Dressing’ Day.”
At first, I was right out offended that some school would encourage their students to cross-dress, but as I read the article, I realized how something one person can find innocent could offend someone else.
The Spurger schools for years have hosted “The Woman Is Requested to Pay” during Homecoming Week. The concept is to let the boys and girls switch roles. And in the junior high schools and high schools, the older girls invite the boys on dates, open door and pay for sodas.
A thirty-three-year-old mother of two students in Spurger Elementary was offended because she felt the activity would encourage children to be homosexuals.
As innocent as this may seem to the Spurger schools, and may even to you, I too have a problem with it. But not for the reason you might think.
This activity is encouraging students to be someone other than themselves instead of teaching them that it isn’t okay to be themselves. It is not celebrating the differences between the genders instead it seems like they are mocking them. Being a woman, or a man, for that matter is about more than who opens the door or who pays. We are different for a reason. And I find it offensive that people think that by putting on a dress that they actually no what it is like to be a woman.
To me, this is an issue of not allowing people to be the person God created them to be. Male, female, black, white, introverted or extraverted. Contrary to popular belief, God does not make mistakes. He made you male or female for a reason.
Whenever you see a male homosexual on television who is decorating or being emotional, they say that he is being feminine, that he is being a girl. Like being a girl is all about baking, cleaning, decorating and being emotional. I am female, but I don’t have a flair for decor or for cooking.
In one episode of Fraiser, he is dating a lawyer, and she takes on more of the aggressive role. Bringing him flowers, breaking dates. He takes on the more domestic role — waiting for her to call, preparing dinner. And he comes to the conclusion that he is the girl in the relationship.
Television shows and movies portray being a woman as a bad thing. Especially women like me who are my mother says “all — girl.” By this, she means that I am not athletic and am more emotional than most people, even other women. Instead of running and jumping, I stayed indoors, playing with my family (my dolls) or reading a book.
It is not because I am a woman. It is because it is my personality, who God created me to me. And I will not change for anyone but God. And I will not apologize for being me.
You shouldn’t change who you are for someone else. You shouldn’t apologize for it either.
You are who God created you to be. Instead of wishing you were someone else or being dissatisfied with how God made you, you need to work with what you have been given. You have been given all things that pertain to life and godliness, all the tools you need to be who God destined you to be.
When we complain about the way we look, the way we are, we are saying that God makes junk, which He doesn’t. Psalm 139 says that God saw you in your mother’s womb, that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Jeremiah 1:5 reminds us that God has called us for His purpose while we were still in our mothers’ stomachs.
Instead of moaning over not being pretty enough, smart enough or talented enough, make a list of those things you do like about yourself. Of the things that you don’t like, how many things can you change? Most people who want to change their looks and who they are want to do so because they don’t love who they are.
Guys and girls might be attracted to the outer appearance at first, but if you are going to have a lasting relationship, you must love yourself. An emotionally-healthy person is more attractive than an emotionally-sick one in spite of their looks.
To become an emotionally-healthy person, a person who loves who you are, make a list of what God says about you. Read that list over every day until it sinks into your spirit and subtly changes your thinking. Where the mind goes, the body will follow.
God promised you in Psalm 91:16 that He would give you long life, if you claim that promise. Would you rather spend it hating yourself? Or loving yourself? Being someone else or being you?
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