Posted by Rodetta Cook

Rodetta Cook has been a pastor’s wife for over 40 years. She and her husband, Ron, have actively served the Lord together in ministry during the entire time and are co-founders of Care for Pastors. She understands the expectations, loneliness and how hard it is to find balance in ministry as a pastor’s wife. Rodetta also leads the pastor’s wives initiative at Care for Pastors called The Confidante and ministers to hundreds of wives each week. She strives to share blogs with other pastors’ wives that will help them in their ministry walk.

Posted by Rodetta Cook

Topics: Balance · Expectations · For Pastors' Wives · Spiritual Walk

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Monday, June 14, 2021

By Christy Kirtlan

I’ve never been a fashionista…I know that’s hard for some of you to imagine, but it’s true. I was a tomboy as a kid and I had to live up to my brother’s standards, so I was a tough tomboy. The bad news for this tomboy was I grew up at the time when girls still had to wear dresses to school. I did it. Reluctantly. With shorts under my dress, but I did it. Because of my rowdiness and competitive spirit, my mom kept my hair short. You know. The pixie cut. Don’t laugh. How many of you out there wore a pixie cut??

My sister was the girly girl in the family, and since she was the first born and I was the baby of the family, and there were two boys between us…I spent more time playing with the boys than I did with her. Part of me wanted to be girly and enjoy fashion and hairstyles, but…. I just couldn’t…and besides, I had a reputation to maintain with the guys I played ball with!

David Cassidy and Donny Osmond were the hotties of the day! I loved the teen magazines with all the pictures and posters but…Other kids often thought I was a boy….I had two experiences the same day that broke my heart. I went to the store across the street from our house to buy a teen magazine (David Cassidy) and I was gazing at the covers, when a guy next to me picks up a Playboy and elbows me with a, “Hey buddy, take a look at this!” I huffed my way outta there and went where every girl would go when that upset…to the Dairy Queen! And sadly, when the person came to the window, he asked, “What can I get for you sir?”

What I discovered at my young age, was that people were going to stereotype me and judge me based on my looks. I tried to “fit in” but I didn’t even have the skills it took to do my hair and put on makeup. And worse, I had no desire to. What I also discovered, was that God loved me just the way I was. I didn’t make a conscious decision to march to my own beat, but I did. Then, as I got older and came closer to the Lord, I realized I was marching to His beat. The Scripture teaches that God doesn’t look at the outside, but He looks at the heart. And I’m grateful for that.

So here I am, all these years later, and supposedly full of wisdom. Since I’m older, the only real beauty tips I have for you are these:

Fill your heart with praise, because you are wonderful!
Don’t try to pluck a wrinkle.
Never, and I mean never, look at yourself from the rear, naked, with a mirror.
Smile as much as you can, because as “we” grow older, we naturally frown, not because we’re unhappy, but because of gravity.
Praise Him again!

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Psalm 139:14)

Be thankful God made you the way you are!