Let Me Be a Woman

Book Review

Elisabeth Elliot, missionary and author who was widowed and later remarried, wrote Let Me Be a Woman to her daughter when she was about to be married. It focuses on God’s design and plan for men and women, as well as for marriage. That being a man or a woman is a calling, and that to run away from that calling is disobedience. The book addresses singleness but it mostly focuses on marriage. The desire to be married is right and good, but don’t let it take away from living joyfully in God. Singleness and marriage are both gifts. “Let not our longing slay the appetite of living.” On marriage some topics are: what to look for in a man, who is it that you are marrying, and how to make a marriage work.

One thing that resonated with me while I read the book was on appreciating your spouse. That most husbands and wives should not take each other for granted. My favorite quote from the book is “Snoring is the sweetest music in the world, ask any widow.” I have never thought of snoring in that way, but what a new perspective this book has given me. Another thing that resonated with me was on loyalty. That wives should be proud to identify as their husband’s wife. This helped me understand why wives traditionally take their husband’s last name.

Overall, I think this is a good read for those exploring biblical womanhood from a Complementarian view, as well as any woman who is thinking of getting married, engaged, or already married.

Book Notes

QUOTE

Snoring is the sweetest music in the world, ask any widow.

• Being a women is a calling
  • limitation of being a women is a gift (goes for men as well)
• The Gift of Singleness
  • ” Let not our longing slay the appetite of living”
  • The gift of marriage is temporary, and so can the gift of singleness

Talked about marriage

• Who is it that you marry?
  • Look for essentials and then skip the rest
    • Someone you are willing to adjust for
      • some area can have grace
    • Appreciate the good
    • Agree theologically
    • Maturity is knowing that choosing means limitation
  • Man
    • You can never fully understand him, and he will never fully understand you
  • sinner
    • Forgiveness
  • person
  • husband
• What is marriage
  • Committing to one
• How to make it work
  • Love
    • an action
    • faithfulness
    • Cross
      • marriage is a gift
      • we are to lay down one’s life
  • acceptance of divine order
    • Women submit and man lead and love
      • Restraining of power
    • equal as heirs of grace
    • Don’t do 50/50 and count the scores
      • Both are called to lay down one’s life
  • Loyalty
    • being proud of their husband, and be glad to identity with them
  • Sex
    • male female distinction
    • intercourse
      • ” “if you get too technical you’ll miss all the blessings”
      • Keep the privacy and mystery (porn destroys this)
• Choosing someone
  • Agree theologically? (all problem is theological)
  • Look for the essentials and skip the rest (Someone your willing to adjust for)
  • Appreciating the good