Captivating Book Club

(photo by Cara from here)

I have been reading the book Captivating by John and Staci Eldredge along with Cara over at the Marvelous Flight of Cara.  I have seriously had this book on my nightstand for probably 5+ years (I've owned it for longer) and I've only read a few chapters.  When she announced she was going to do a summer book club, I just had to join!  I knew that was the push I needed to finally read this book I have heard so many great things about.

"Every woman was once a little girl. And every little girl holds in her heart her most precious dreams. She longs to be swept up into a romance, to play an irreplaceable role in a great adventure, to be the Beauty of the story. Those desires are far more than child’s play. They are the secret to the feminine heart. And yet—how many women do you know who ever find that life? As the years pass by, the heart of a woman gets pushed aside, wounded, buried. She finds no romance except in novels, no adventure except on television, and she doubts very much that she will ever be the Beauty in any tale. Most women think they have to settle for a life of efficiency and duty, chores and errands, striving to be the women they “ought” to be but often feeling they have failed. Sadly, too many messages for Christian women add to the pressure. “Do these ten things, and you will be a godly woman.”The effect has not been good on the feminine soul. The message of Captivating is this: Your heart matters more than anything else in all creation. The desires you had as a little girl and the longings you still feel as a woman—they are telling you of the life God created you to live. He offers to come now as the Hero of your story, to rescue your heart and release you to live as a fully alive and feminine woman. A woman who is truly captivating."  (Barnes and Noble Overview from here)

Even though I am taking part, I don't really plan on answering all of the questions publicly here on my blog.  I do think though, that if I come across something that really speaks to me I will share it will you guys.

This week, I came across that something.

In the book John and Staci Eldredge point out that when God created Eve, he called her an ezer kenegdo.  The Bible says in Gen 2:18 "It is not good for man to be alone, I shall make him an ezer kenegdo."  No, I don't know how to pronouce it, but I did learn exaclty what it means. Growing up going to church I had always been told that this term meant a "helper" or "helpmeet."  What the heck is a helpmeet anyway?  What a seriously odd word. 

They say that ezer is better translated as "lifesaver" and that kenegdo is translated as "alongside" or "counterpart."

Anywho, John and Stasi go on to say that "The word ezer is used only twenty other places in the entire Old Testament. And in every other instance the person being described is God himself, when you need Him to come through for you desperately."

We as women were created not as a simple "helpmeet" to men, but as someone with an irreplaceable role. God himself wants to be our ezer kenegdo, and he created us in his image.

How beautiful is that?