The New Eve - Lewis Robert [72]
When the three of them reached the meeting room, they found Anne scurrying around putting the finishing touches on a veritable buffet table of fruits, dips, and sweets.
“Anne, what on earth have you done?” asked Patricia in amazement.
“Oh! Just some finger foods. It wasn't any trouble at all.”
“Looks like a lot of trouble to me,” said Tracey. “Thanks so much for doing this!”
They mingled and munched for a while, and then Patricia suggested they start the meeting.
“But what about Brenda?” Tracey asked. “I'd hate to start without her.”
Susan agreed. “Brenda's been stressed out lately. She and John are struggling. They're barely communicating right now. That's a hard way to start a second marriage.”
“That's for sure,” replied Anne. As an empty nester, Anne was happily married. Her children were reasonably healthy and well adjusted. To this point, life had been fairly smooth, but Anne found herself regularly asking, “What now?” It disturbed her that she had no ready answer.
Brenda came in a few minutes later, looking embarrassed.
“Hi, everyone! Sorry I'm late.”
“That's OK,” the group said in unison. Brenda set her purse down and went for a quick stop at the refreshments table. “This is just what I needed,” she said. “I've been running nonstop all day. Thanks for taking the time to do this!”
“Thank Anne,” Susan quickly interjected. “She came early and did everything.”
“How sweet of you, Anne!” said Brenda. “Thanks so much.”
“Well, you're very welcome. I'm happy to help.”
Brenda settled down into a seat and insisted that they not delay any further on her account. Anne, who had accepted the challenge to be the discussion leader, took charge.
“Well, we've all read and discussed the book,” she said. “Tonight we agreed to write on an index card our biggest challenge to being a New Eve. So let's take turns sharing what we wrote. Who wants to go first?”
Susan decided to open the discussion. Besides, she had to be on a plane in less than twelve hours. No time for procrastination. She grabbed the card from where she had lodged it in the book and held it up for all the ladies to read.
“There it is,” she said. “No surprise, is it? My challenge is that I'm tempted to place my sense of personal value and security in my career. I'm single, twenty-six, and my career is going great. But I do struggle with having a more balanced personal and spiritual life. At least, reading this book makes me think that. But the thing is, I'm also struggling with the emphasis the book places on marriage, kids, and those things. I mean, don't get me wrong. I believe in the biblical principles, at least as an ideal. I do want to marry someday and have kids, but I just don't see why I should back off from my career and look for a man to come in and take care of me. I mean, my mom tried that, and look where it landed her. Dad left her when I was nine, and for the next ten years she waited tables at a greasy diner so my sister and I could eat and have clothes. I don't know. Sometimes I feel that the Bible and books like this one teach a paradigm that modern women can't follow. Honestly, can a twenty-first-century woman follow first-century advice? We're in totally different worlds.”
Susan paused for a moment. Then she continued. “But then the flip side is, I look at my life now and ask, Do I really want to live like this forever? I'm scrambling up the corporate ladder, but is it worth it? I drive a nice car, but I only drive it to and from the airport. I have a huge professional network, but I'm lonely. My clothes come from the designer rack, but they can't cover all my needs. So what should my priorities be? Does God want me to ditch my career and go on a manhunt? Can I keep my career and have a family? It's confusing.”
The ladies reflected in silence for a moment. Susan's openness about her struggles caused everyone to relax a little more. No one would be playing Ms. Righteousness here.
“I think I understand pretty well what you're going through,” said Patricia. “On one hand, you feel that