This is the third of five connected stories – I wrote them all as “Life Lesson assignments” when I was in the Bible study 5 Aspects of Woman, intending to one day share them with my daughter and start teaching her about Biblical Womanhood. This aspect is “Lifegiver.”

*******************************

In time, Eva had learned to appreciate her role as a ruler of her own domain, helping Adam be the ruler King Adon had appointed him to be. She began to flourish within their home, using her skills and gifts to create a sanctuary that was orderly, welcoming, and made Adam and others feel at home and at rest within its walls. She had learned more about what it meant to be Adam’s helper, and although she still rebelled against it at times, she had found a sense of security and fulfillment by his side, recognizing and appreciating their differences. She had continued to meet with the Wise Woman often, being challenged and strengthened by the older woman’s understanding arid insight into King Adon and his plan for those in his kingdom.

The day eventually came when Eva realized that she was pregnant with their first child. She and Adam were thrilled, and soon their happy news spread throughout the castle. The Wise Woman was overjoyed when she heard the news, and soon Eva received a small package from this faithful friend. Eva quickly unwrapped the gift as soon as it arrived at her door, and beamed when she saw the familiar key. It was time for another compartment to be unlocked! Around the key was wrapped a note in the Wise Woman’s familiar handwriting.

Dear Eva-

I am so happy to hear the news of your pregnancy! What a blessing to you, my little one. Now that you are embarking on this next stage of your life as a woman, I think it is time to open your next treasure.

Please meet me tomorrow for tea, but rather than coming to my house, meet me in the castle garden – and don’t forget your treasure box! We have much to discuss.

The next day, Eva could hardly wait to go meet the Wise Woman. She looked at the special shelf where she kept her treasure box and the treasures she had unlocked thus far, and she couldn’t help but think of the amazing changes the first two had already made in her life. Her first treasure had been a tiara, but most importantly, she had found out who she was – born as royalty, loved by the King, destined to rule. It was hard to remember what her life was like before she received her treasure box from the King and first met the Wise Woman that day. Eva frowned as she thought about the dingy shack she had lived in, alone, hungry, and without purpose in her life. How did she not realize there had to be something more?

Next, she had been given her golden heart. With an inward chuckle, she remembered how angry and hurt she had been when she received the letter from King Adon. She had learned so much since then about the privilege it was to be her husband’s helper, working together in their calling to rule. Now that they had been married for a while, she knew what skill and dedication it took to manage the workings of their home and support her husband the way he needed her to. She loved being his wife more than she could ever have imagined – and had come to realize what an honor it was to stand at his side. She knew she didn’t have that mastered – she still had days that she resented the work she had to do and that he was so much more visible in the kingdom – but she was growing and her heart was changing, becoming much more like the pure golden heart that sat on her shelf.

Those first two treasures had both been so unexpected, so life changing – what could possibly be next? Eva shook herself from her daydreaming and looked around her. She had work to be done before she left for tea. She got up and put the loaves of bread to rise near the stove and sorted the pile of clothing she needed to wash that afternoon. She made a note of several sick friends she needed to visit, and then went outside to water her garden before changing her clothes and getting ready to meet her friend.

The afternoon was bright and clear, and Eva breathed deeply the scent of the blooming flowers as she walked down the garden path. The Wise Woman caught her eye and waved from a corner of the garden, and Eva noticed she had a small table positioned among the roses and beautifully set for tea. Eva smiled and shook her head – this older woman had become so dear to her, and she was always surprising Eva with the way she could create a warm welcoming presence wherever she went.

Eva hurried over to her and set her treasure box on the table, giving the Wise Woman a warm hug. “How beautiful!” she exclaimed. “Did you even arrange for a clear sunny day for us?” The Wise Woman laughed and nodded, “it is a beautiful day to be near the King, is it not?” Indeed, one of the greatest lessons Eva had learned from this woman was valuing time spent near the King. They read his letters together, discussed his plans for the kingdom, and delighted in being near his home. The castle looked even more grand from this beautiful spot.

An hour flew by as they caught up on events of life and laughed together. Eventually, the Wise Woman smiled and said, “are you ready to open your next compartment?” “Am I ever!” exclaimed Eva. “The first two treasures were so amazing, I can’t imagine what could be next.” Eva pulled out her key and at the Wise Woman’s nod, she inserted it into the keyhole and the third compartment opened with that same familiar click. Ever so slowly, Eva lifted the lid, and curiosity shone in her eyes as she pulled out a small waxen pouch filled with flower seeds. “Is this a trick to have me work in the castle garden?” she teased. “In a way, it is!” replied her companion.

“Eva, women are gifted and called to receive and nurture seeds of growth. You are experiencing this physically in a profound way. You received seeds of life and are nurturing a tiny baby inside of you. That baby depends on your body to sustain life and create an environment where he or she will grow and develop into a beautiful little child, able to sustain life on his own. In a different, but no less profound way, we receive and nurture seeds of life spiritually and emotionally. King Adon has placed you in a particular part of the kingdom, with Adam as your husband, and other people all around you. You have a calling to invest in their lives, nurturing them, caring for them, compassionately supporting the weak and sometimes pruning the strong for more healthy growth. Your life calling is very similar to the individuals who work this gorgeous garden we sit in – the life and beauty around us is a direct result of their careful labors.”

As the Wise Woman spoke, the two women walked slowly through the fragrant sections of the royal garden. The blooms seemed to echo the words being spoken, their fragility and dependence illustrated in the delicate petals. As the Wise Woman paused, they passed through a small garden gate into a section Eva had never seen before. Behind the stone wall was a vastly different scene. Weeds had overtaken this section of the garden, choking out any flowers and vegetables that might have once been planted there. The path was overgrown and dry briar bushes, prickly and sharp, lined the beds rather than the lush vegetation that flourished on the opposite side of the wall.

“What happened to this garden?” asked Eva. “Well,” answered the Wise Woman, “I wanted you to see this in order to show you what happens when we choose not to nurture seeds of life. King Adon had commissioned several women to care for this portion of the garden. Unfortunately, all of them left the village to rule themselves, as you yourself had done. These women, unlike you and the others living within the castle, chose to ignore the King’s invitation to return. So, their gardens have been untended, suffering the effects of neglect, being overtaken by weeds.”

“I think I’m seeing your point,” Eva commented sadly. “In neglecting our responsibilities to give life, we choose to give death.” “Exactly, Eva. We either choose to glorify the King with the beauty we cultivate, or we choose to sacrifice life to the selfishness and destruction of our own hearts. People around us will flourish and blossom with our loving attention, or we will wound and destroy them. Now that you are having your own child…” “the stakes are higher,” Eva finished her thought with gravity in her voice.

Eva walked home slowly, fingering the packet of seeds and thinking about the life she carried. A heavy responsibility, but a high calling. She finished her tasks she had begun that morning, very conscious of the effects each of her actions would have. “I choose to nurture life,” she thought often. She finished her baking, considering how the food she prepared could nurture life or death. She washed and ironed Adam’s clothes, conscious of how much he benefited from her hard work. She looked at her list of tasks of the day and prepared to go visit her sick friends. Before she left, she went out to her garden and cut a few flowers to brighten their homes, glancing at the castle as she walked down the street. “I will choose to nurture life and glorify you, my King. Thank you for using me to bring beauty to your kingdom.”

Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.
Genesis 3:20

‘I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him.
So now I give him to the Lord.
For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.’
And he worshiped the Lord there.
I Samuel 1:27-28

‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered.
‘May it be to me as you have said.’…
And Mary said, ‘My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me – holy is his name.’
Luke 1:38, 46-49

Proverbs 31 graphics from A Pondering Heart

This is the second of five connected stories – I wrote them all as “Life Lesson assignments” when I was in the Bible study 5 Aspects of Woman, intending to one day share them with my daughter and start teaching her about Biblical Womanhood. This aspect is “Helper-Completer.”

*******************************

Months flew by for Eva as she settled into life in the castle. Soon she found herself living every girl’s dream – she was to be married to a prince! Prince Adam was everything she had ever dreamed of- she just knew life was going to be perfect!

A week after Eva’s beautiful wedding, the Wise Woman heard a loud pounding on her door. As she opened the door, she was startled as Eva stormed into the house, tossing her golden box onto the table and throwing her tiara on the floor. “Rule! You told me the king wanted me here to rule! What kind of sick joke are you people playing?” The Wise Woman took a deep breath. “Eva, you’re upset. Calm down and tell me what happened.” “What happened? I’ll tell you what happened – the king reneged! He took it back! I’m not a ruler at all – we should lock this tiara back in the box because I surely won’t need it!”

Eventually, the Wise Woman calmed Eva enough to convince her to sit down. Eva sat rigid in the chair, refusing to relax. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt so betrayed. “Eva, my dear – it is obvious that you are very upset and feel like you have been tricked. I have an idea what this might be about, but I want to hear what happened from you. Please start at the beginning.”

Eva took a breath and steadied her voice. “Well, at first, it was great. After I talked to you I was shown to my own bedroom in the castle. Did you know that the King already knew all my favorite colors and decorated it just the way I’d want it? I felt so special! I went through training and learned more about the King and His plan for the kingdom. I was learning so much and was very excited to start ruling with him.

During the training, I met Adam. He was wonderful! He was new to the castle, too – and had also just learned about his call to rule with the King. We spent hours upon hours walking within the castle walls, discussing our past, our treasure boxes from the King, and the exciting things we were going to be doing.”

“And then…” the Wise Woman prompted her. “Well, the wedding was wonderful. I was just getting settled into our new home together, and then this morning a messenger came with this letter.” Eva meekly produced a rumpled letter that looked like it had been crumpled in a ball, smoothed out again, cried on, torn in two pieces, and taped back together. “I just was so shocked. I didn’t know what to do – so I came here.” The Wise Woman took the letter in her hand and read aloud (it took some effort to read the crumpled, torn, soggy writing).

Adam and Eva-
I cannot tell you how excited I was to see you join together in marriage. As you are learning in your training, marriage is part of the beautiful plan 1 have for strengthening my kingdom and spreading the message of remembering your royalty! I know you two will bring honor to my name throughout the region.

Now as a married couple, you have an assignment to rule together. Adam, you are the
leader. You are to take the initiative in carrying out my plans and providing for your family. You will have an active, visible role in the ruling of the kingdom. Eva, you are Adam’s helper. You will be mostly behind the scenes, helping him to stay true to the assignment, caring for the practicalities of your home (and eventually, for raising your children). You are a ruler as well, but your role is largely a supportive one.

I know that you probably have questions. This will be discussed more deeply in your training manual. There are also many established married couples who are ruling together well in the kingdom – surround yourselves with them.

Sincerely,
King Adon

As the Wise Woman read, Eva wept. She cried harder and harder until eventually she was drowning out the older woman’s strong voice. At the conclusion of the letter, the Wise Woman waited for several long minutes while Eva composed herself. Eventually, Eva muttered, “you said I was going to rule. I’m not ruling at all – I’m just the household help!” At this declaration, the Wise Woman rose from her seat and poured two cups of steaming tea. After she put the tea on the side table, she carried over the golden treasure box and placed it gently on Eva’s lap. She settled back into her seat as Eva regained composure yet again. “I think, my little one, that it is time to open your next compartment.”

Another golden key was produced from the side table, and Eva again marveled at the intricacy of the design. She placed the key into the lock and it opened with the same soft click as the first compartment. Inside was a piece of gold shaped into a beautiful smooth heart. Eva lifted it out and held it in her palm. “I don’t think I understand.”

“Eva, which could your body function without – your head, or your heart?” “I need both. My brain tells the body what to do, my heart keeps the body alive by circulating the blood.” “Right. In the same way, your home and marriage cannot survive without Adam as the head, or leader, and you as the heart, listening and responding to him and nourishing the family. What do you think would happen to your body if your heart decided that it wanted to be a brain, or if the brain decided it wanted to be a heart?” Eva smiled at the odd thought and said, “Well, my body wouldn’t work. My heart isn’t equipped to be a brain, and my brain isn’t able to function as a heart. My body would break down – and die.”

She smiled as the Wise Woman’s lesson was sinking in, but then her forehead creased again. “But, I thought I was supposed to be a ruler – a brain seems like a ruler – a heart just seems weak.” The Wise Woman nodded. “Eva, the heart has a very important job to do. If it refuses to cooperate and do what it is meant to do, every part of the body suffers – including the brain. You are a ruler – of the things the King has placed under your authority. As He said in the letter, your wisdom and care is needed for your home and family to function well.

As a heart, you nourish your family emotionally, physically, and spiritually. You are the primary feeler in your family. You will know when your children are hurting or afraid, and you probably already know when Adam needs to be encouraged, relaxed, or challenged. Even though Adam makes the final decisions and may be more visible to the rest of the kingdom, he, too, is dependent on you to create the sort of environment he needs to grow and flourish as a ruler. You both are dependent on the other. You have different jobs to do, but they work together in a beautiful harmony.”

Eva left the Wise Woman’s house with a cautious smile on her face. She knew this business of being the heart wasn’t going to be easy. But, she also knew that the King had always been right in the past, that the He loved her and Adam, and wanted the best for both of them. Surely His ideas of how their home should work would be true. So, with determination in her steps she headed toward her new home, preparing to explain to Adam why King Adon’s letter was a wrinkled, soggy mess.

The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him’… Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.’
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,
and they will become one flesh.
Genesis 2:18, 22-24

Proverbs 31 graphics from A Pondering Heart

(A) “I saw Mommy’s pants. And shirt.”
(N) “Where did you see them?”
(A) “On Mommy.”

This is the first of five connected stories which I am going to post – I wrote them all as “Life Lesson assignments” when I was in the Bible study 5 Aspects of Woman (EXCELLENT STUDY), intending to one day share them with my daughter and start teaching her about Biblical Womanhood. This aspect is “The Mistress of the Domain.”

*******************************

Once upon a time in a land far away, but very much like our own, there lived a simple peasant girl named Eva. Eva lived all alone in a small shack in a poor village, and went about her daily tasks never thinking much about who she was.

One year on her birthday, a knock sounded loudly at the door of her dirty one-room shack. Eva timidly opened the door, and gasped with surprise when she saw the man in the brightly colored uniform. A messenger from the castle – at her own house! As Eva pulled back in surprise, and the messenger laid a gentle hand on her arm. “Eva the Peasant?” “Yes,” Eva replied. “I come to bring you a birthday gift from the king. He sent strict instructions that it should be delivered to you.”

Eva was surprised, but even more shocked to see the gorgeous, golden box in the man’s hands. It was covered with the most beautiful jewels she had ever seen, and engraved in the top was her own name! The box shone in the sun, and Eva began to feel a bit dizzy. “That’s for me?” Eva asked in surprise. “Are you sure I am the right Eva?” “Indeed,” replied the messenger. “Happy birthday from the King.” With that, he turned on his polished heel and walked away, leaving Eva stunned in the doorway, holding her treasure.

Eva closed the door with shaking hands and walked to the table. A velvety scarlet ribbon was tied around the box, and beneath the bow she noticed an envelope bearing the insignia of the royal family. This must be a dream, Eva thought. She gingerly touched the bow and slowly pulled the envelope free. Inside she found a handwritten note in beautiful script.

My dearest Eva – happy birthday! I have waited many years to deliver this special gift to you. I have had it here in the castle since the day you left, waiting for the perfect day to bring it to you.

Inside this box are five locked compartments. Each compartment contains apiece of lost treasure which I long to restore to you. In order to receive the first key, you need to visit the Wise Woman who lives within the castle walls. She will tell you more.

I will watch for you from the castle window -I am as anxious as you probably are for you to open your treasures! I know this has brought many confusing questions to your mind, but all will be answered in time.

Sincerely,
King Adon

Eva read the note over and over again. The King knows who I am… knows my name? He kept this since the day I left? It was just too much for her to grasp. She moved her hands across the lid of the box, feeling the cool metal and the gems beneath her fingers. She slid her hands to the corners of the box and gingerly lifted the lid. Just as the king had explained in his note, five small compartments filled the box, each with a golden keyhole.

A few hours later, Eva stood outside of the castle walls. Her knees were quaking and threatening to give out from under her. Her hands were sweaty and she struggled to keep a grip on her treasure box, which she had wrapped in rough cloth and tucked under her arm. She raised a shaking hand and knocked on the ornately carved wooden door. The gatekeeper looked her up and down but didn’t seem suspicious or surprised when Eva asked for a meeting with the Wise Woman. When the Wise Woman came, she smiled broadly and took Eva’s elbow in her hand, saying. “Oh, my dear Eva! So glad that you have come this afternoon. Come back to my house and we will have a cup of tea.”

Sitting inside the Wise Woman’s house, Eva carefully unwrapped the golden box. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” the Wise Woman said. “Yes – what is it? And why did the king send such a treasure to me?” Eva asked. “Well, that is a long story. Why don’t I get you another cup of tea and some of my special honey cookies, and I will begin as soon as we are settled in some softer chairs.” Eva nodded and hungrily nibbled on the cookies as the Wise Woman filled her teacup, and then followed her into a comfortable room, sitting in an overstuffed chair near the crackling fireplace.

The Wise Woman reached into the side table drawer and withdrew a gleaming, golden
key tied on a scarlet ribbon that matched the one on Eva’s box. Eva’s hands began to
sweat again. The Wise Woman handed her the key and said, “Why don’t you unlock that
first compartment, dear? We’ll see what’s inside.”

Eva trembled as she fit the key inside the first compartment’s golden lock. With a soft click, the key turned and the compartment opened. Inside, on the softest white velvet that Eva could imagine, laid a sparkling diamond tiara. Tears came to the corners of Eva’s eyes. The Wise Woman had been watching her closely and asked Eva why she was crying. “Well, I’m not sure,” replied Eva. “I guess because it is so beautiful, but also because the king must not realize who I am. I can’t wear this with my rags. He must be thinking of someone else. I’m just Eva the Peasant, and this is obviously for a princess.”

The Wise Woman handed her a handkerchief and said nothing while Eva wiped her eyes. “My dear,” she finally said, “you said the king must not realize who you are, but I’m afraid you’re mistaken. The fact is that you don’t realize who you are.” The room was silent except for the soft crackling of the fire. Eva finally said, “What do you mean? I am Eva the Peasant, aren’t I?” The next moments seemed frozen in time as the Wise Woman told Eva the most amazing thing she had ever heard. Eva had been born as royalty – she was born to rule! “Eva, you were born to be a grand princess. Elegant but humble, refined but graceful. Ruling the kingdom kindly and fairly, bringing order, feeding the hungry, helping the King. This tiara represents who you really are – the beautiful crown of our kingdom, with authority to rule given by the King himself.”

Eva listened quietly and then looked down at her rags. “But, if that is true… why have I been a peasant? Why am I wearing these rags? Didn’t the King love me?” The Wise Woman sighed. “Eva, he loved you deeply. He loves you still – why do you think he would keep this glorious gift for you all these years? He has been waiting for you to come back.” “Come back? What do you mean?”

The Wise Woman spent the next hour telling Eva about her true family, and about the day she left the castle. “Eva, you were deceived, and you chose to leave. When you left the castle, you left all of it – even the memory of being here. A mysterious man came to the village and was telling people that they didn’t have to live in a place where a king ruled them, that they could rule themselves and do whatever they wanted. You believed him. You didn’t want the king telling you what to do or not to do and thought you could do better on your own. Once you left the castle walls, you forgot all about who you really are. All of the people who live outside the castle walls are just like you – they were loved by the King, but they chose to leave Him.”

Eva was silent for a long time. “…so all of the peasants I lived with…” “They are royalty, too. What is it like out there, with everyone trying to rule themselves and rebelling against the King?” Eva thought for a long time. “Well, some are like me – we just go through every day doing what everyone else does. It’s easier that way – we don’t have to work hard at anything. But, I get tired of living in my dirty shack with so little to eat. I wish that I had books to read, music to play, things to learn – I often feel like I’m not really living. Other people are like the town thieves. They push and bully to get their way and the things they want or need, they steal and hurt people. No one likes them, but I have to admit that sometimes I admire them for doing something, even if it’s not good. At least they aren’t just sitting in a dirty shack wishing they had something to eat like the rest of us.”

The Wise Woman listened quietly, and Eva was surprised to see that now it was her companion who had tears running down her cheeks. “Eva, you were not born for such a life. There is so much in the kingdom for you to learn and enjoy and do! You could make our kingdom a better place by working hard with the King! You could help people. Not only that, but you would wake up in the morning with more to learn, good things to do, and you could think for yourself! That is why the King has sent you this beautiful tiara. To remind you of who you are. He is inviting you to come back to the castle, and start ruling the kingdom with Him. Please come back… He loves you so much.”

Eva nodded excitedly, and then wrinkled her forehead in thought. “If I may ask – why is He inviting me, and not the others in the village?” A fresh batch of tears fell from the Wise Woman’s eyes. “Dear one, they were invited, just as you were. I have spoken to all of them, right in this very spot. Some have returned to the castle and live there today. But those you knew in the village chose to return.” Eva was shocked. “They turned this down? Why would they do that?” “They still did not want to live under the King’s authority. You see, even though He is inviting you to return and rule with Him, He is still King. He still makes the laws and decides what is right and wrong. But look around you – within the castle walls all is clean and orderly and safe. People love one another here. You don’t have to be afraid – the King is watching over you for good, not for evil. He loves us. But some people would rather live on their own and steal and push for their own way, or they don’t want to do any work at all and would rather be hungry in a shack by themselves. All of us have to make the choice, Eva.”

Eva rubbed her grimy fingers over the sparkling diamond tiara. “I know what I want. I want to know the King, if He really loves me like this. I will let Him be King and rule over me -I want to know who I really am and do something good with my life.”

The Wise Woman jumped to her feet, startling Eva. She rushed over and threw her arms around Eva’s neck. ‘”Welcome home, little one. How glad we are to have you.” She pulled a golden cord on the wall which rang a bell, and immediately the messenger who had delivered Eva’s treasure box came to the door. “We have a new resident in the castle. Please bring her clothes, John.” A few minutes later he brought back a beautiful blue satin gown with puffed sleeves and most beautiful princess skirt Eva could imagine. The Wise Woman helped her wash up and braided her hair, placing the diamond tiara on her head. Eva slowly turned to the mirror and tears ran down her cheeks again. “Now I remember,” she said. “Now I remember – Eva the Princess.”

************************************************

Then God said,
‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:26-27

His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!
You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’”
Matthew 25:21

Proverbs 31 graphics from A Pondering Heart