Woman

Boy do I love teaching from the Book of John! I know I keep saying this as I progress through teaching the standard works, but this, THIS is my new favorite book! Today we studied John 2, the first recorded miracle and the first cleansing of the temple. We had great discussion. At the wedding Jesus said, speaking to his Mom, "Woman, what wilt thou have me to do for thee? That will I do." We are to be like the Savior, to walk and talk like him......so I challenged the kids to go home and say these same words to their mothers and see what reaction they got. Boy the kids laughed......"If I call my Mom, "Woman" she's not going to like that so much!" So I told them to say the words Jesus spoke, but in our modern language which they agreed would be, "Mom, what can I do for you? I'll do it!" I'm anxious to hear what they report back about her reaction AND what she has them do! When Jesus was dying in agony on the cross, He looked down upon His weeping mother and asked John (the author) to take care of her by saying, "Woman, behold thy son!" In this moment, can you think of Him saying anything but a tender, loving, and respectful term? There's no question that calling her "woman" was full of respect and honor. Woman. I have been pondering that word. Such a beautiful and honorable word. Here are two of my favorite quotes about being a woman: "Women play an integral part (sometimes at the risk of their own lives) in God’s work and glory “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” Elder D. Todd Christofferson I love feeling that I play such an integral role in Heavenly Father's work and glory! His work and glory would fail if women stopped playing this part! “The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity.” Former YW General President, Margaret D. Nadauld I remember when she said that quote and it just resonated with me. I felt something deep inside of me bearing testimony of the importance of being a woman.....that kind of woman......and the influence I could have on the world. In my world, anyway. And that I was doing ok by not trying to follow the world into being tough and overly bold as sometimes the world makes me feel I should be. It's ok, and even wonderful to be tender and kind! I would be honored to have the Savior call me "Woman". Or Claire. If Claire says to me after school, "Woman, what wilt thou have me to do for thee?" I will happily put her to work!