Wow! What a question to have to ask yourself. But we had to ask ourselves this question while struggling through a love-hate relationship with the book, “Having a Mary Spirit” by Joanna Weaver. We have been gathering together every fourth Friday of the month in our Book Club to discuss the good, bad and the ugly.
As women, we all think we smell pretty good when we cover our outside with Prada, Juicy Couture, Vera Wang or another great smelling cologne. Or gulp down a peppermint without brushing our teeth. But that is not the kind of “smell” I am talking about. When you are in the presence of others, what causes the “Flesh Woman” to make you smell offensive?
Joanna, shares a very cute story about her “Flesh Woman” experience with her four year old son that we can all relate to in some way or another. Let me paraphrase it for you.
“We were in a tug of war of the wills. We went back and forth, neither one of us willing to give in or admit that we were out of line. I would ask him to do something and he wouldn’t. Our total frustration brought us both to a nose-to-nose confrontation. I said John Michael your attitude stinks! With one hand on my hip, I pointed my finger in his little face. I summed up the problem, because he needed correcting. But I saw something else in his eyes. It was as though I’d taken his heart and crumpled it like a juice box. While his defiance may have melted slightly, I could see hurt flooding in to take its place. “Oh yeah?” he said in a small trembling voice. A voice I needed to hear. ‘Well your breath doesn’t smell very good either.” From the mouth of babes!”1
When we try to do a “quick fix” to a problem rather than deal with what fault line is lurking on the inside of us, then we will always struggle with the “Flesh Woman”. Character flaws that go unchecked never lay dormant for long. They always find a way to resurrect themselves.
If you want to know how you are doing on the “Smelly scale” ask a real friend. One who wants to make sure you smell your best at all times. Don’t ask a husband that you have to sleep with or that friend that you can intimidate.
But a true friend will never let you walk around like the character “Pigpen” of Peanuts leaving a residue of a bad smell. That friend will help you to stop wrestling with the “Flesh Woman” and transform into the “Spirit Woman” designed by God.
Come on friend let’s continue this journey together with our author, Joanna Weaver.
1 Weaver, Joanna; “Having a Mary Spirit”; Waterbrook Press; Santa Rosa California; 2006; pg. 47
As women, we all think we smell pretty good when we cover our outside with Prada, Juicy Couture, Vera Wang or another great smelling cologne. Or gulp down a peppermint without brushing our teeth. But that is not the kind of “smell” I am talking about. When you are in the presence of others, what causes the “Flesh Woman” to make you smell offensive?
Joanna, shares a very cute story about her “Flesh Woman” experience with her four year old son that we can all relate to in some way or another. Let me paraphrase it for you.
“We were in a tug of war of the wills. We went back and forth, neither one of us willing to give in or admit that we were out of line. I would ask him to do something and he wouldn’t. Our total frustration brought us both to a nose-to-nose confrontation. I said John Michael your attitude stinks! With one hand on my hip, I pointed my finger in his little face. I summed up the problem, because he needed correcting. But I saw something else in his eyes. It was as though I’d taken his heart and crumpled it like a juice box. While his defiance may have melted slightly, I could see hurt flooding in to take its place. “Oh yeah?” he said in a small trembling voice. A voice I needed to hear. ‘Well your breath doesn’t smell very good either.” From the mouth of babes!”1
When we try to do a “quick fix” to a problem rather than deal with what fault line is lurking on the inside of us, then we will always struggle with the “Flesh Woman”. Character flaws that go unchecked never lay dormant for long. They always find a way to resurrect themselves.
If you want to know how you are doing on the “Smelly scale” ask a real friend. One who wants to make sure you smell your best at all times. Don’t ask a husband that you have to sleep with or that friend that you can intimidate.
But a true friend will never let you walk around like the character “Pigpen” of Peanuts leaving a residue of a bad smell. That friend will help you to stop wrestling with the “Flesh Woman” and transform into the “Spirit Woman” designed by God.
Come on friend let’s continue this journey together with our author, Joanna Weaver.
1 Weaver, Joanna; “Having a Mary Spirit”; Waterbrook Press; Santa Rosa California; 2006; pg. 47
