Lutheran pastors shake hands with everyone at the end of every congregation.
Men NEVER make casual conversation with me, though.
They know I'm the least physically attractive and most intelligent woman whom God ever created.
I can make leftists cry in a corner and hurt their feelings and be the most un-empathetic, coldest, most logical woman they've ever seen. They hate me. (Except my husband. He's the only man in history attracted to nerdy tomboys.)
Conservative men, meanwhile, are merely shocked by me, and tend to respect me.
I remember once attending an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist church. It was very small. The pastor was saying something about the men and women in the church. He then said, "Thankfully we don't have to worry about any attractive women here!"
Story of my life!
NEVER been harassed or assaulted. Not even close.
I made MeToo women cry in the corner. I didn't share their experiences or stories or emotions. I was "so mean."
Men, meanwhile, insist women like me almost never exist. Then they meet me, and are shocked.
At the Lutheran church, a man who never otherwise talks to me, and who notices I seldom talk, once said, "How do you KNOW so much?" When I DID talk, it was theology. Not moronic emotions.
Most women are emotional idiots who can't understand much of a lick of theology. So this was surprising to him, and he wanted to know how I knew so much.
I know so much because I'm not out doing stupid emotional or extroverted things. People don't think I'm attractive, so I read. I have Asperger Syndrome, so I'm emotionally stunted.
If Christ hadn't saved me, I'd probably be like that unattractive Greta girl from Sweden. She's probably the second least attractive woman in the world after me, LOL! But she focuses only on the things of this world, the climate crisis. So she's very sad.
I have a lot more hope. Instead of being Greta Thunberg, or Marie Curie, I can have hope in Jesus!
But I keep relying on Him on humility, because I know how easy it is to surprise people with my intellect, or make women feel bad, and thus get a BIG EGO over how much smarter and how much less emotionally or sexually attractive I am than other women.
It's not ultimately about how unattractive or smart I am, even if these things are VERY RARE for women to deal with, and leave me with no friends (and leave me not caring that I have any friends, because I have such a male-like inattention to emotion and empathy needs).
And it's not even about how much I OWN the leftists, most of whom are SO ANGRY that I don't transition to becoming a man (they think I should, since I'm not the typical emotionally sensitive/nurturing, or else sexually alluring, woman).
Ultimately, it's about using these RARE gifts to bring Glory to God.
With that in mind, God gave me a MALE SON. God knew I couldn't have a female daughter...I'm terrible with other females.
He gave me the one male in my life whom I can properly shape and mold!
Women shouldn't be pastors...probably not even political leaders, or business leaders (though my dad disagrees -- my mom was his boss in the 1970s).
But for cold, logical, unattractive women like me, MALE SONS are the things that are best for us. Only then can we use our WEIRD and RARE gifts.
Every other scenario doesn't really work!
Just remember to take a deep breath, open your eyes and see others as better than yourself. That's an exercise that I try to do every day to keep that almost uncontrollable, fleshly element of sin within us that the Lord calls "pride" from becoming dominant, which is its chief aim. Oh, my, but that pride box starts looking battered when we do as scripture commands.
MM
Hello kdm1984;
I read your post carefully and I would like to respond.
Let the world beware. All women are beautiful in the eyes of God. If all God's Creation are His treasures, then I'm in accord with our Father.
Musicmaster and his wife are personal friends, brother/sister in Christ with my wife and me. I know he has a strong disposition in his faith but also a gentle spirit. When I read his post in this topic it sank in with me with sprinkles of salt and the light of Jesus.
I believe in corporate worship which comprises of men and women. At the end of every service the praise team would play a commitment song. While they were playing I would actually go to every congregant and shake their hand and saw the beauty in each one of them. This could take time depending on the attendance, regardless, I shook every hand.
I tell you the truth. I don't see intelligent, sophisticated, smart talking, athletic, tomboyish, stunning, attractive women or handsomely trimmed men. If I did then I'm looking in the wrong scope while adding my view of their inherent strong or weak personality. I see broken, ill, heavy weight of circumstances people all just seeking God's guidance in their lives.
Whether men or women are sharing an uplifting word or conversation with each other, I always invite God to be in the center of purity and respect in fellowship to one another.
Christians have enough on their plate co-existing with the ways of the world so maintaining a socially acceptable personality can put a strain and wearisome on oneself.
This may sound dramatic but when we truly believe God as our Creator, He does not make mistakes, when He knits our self esteem, then the result is the "inner cup of God fearing humans" that bring out the "outer cup beauty."
I desire to see people more through the eyes of Jesus.
God bless you, kdm1984, I get your point, seriously, and thank you for sharing, sister.