Things aren’t work unless you’d rather be doing something else. That’s what I was thinking this afternoon while propping up my tomato plants. My five children played nearby and fetched more string for me when I ran out. Even the baby fell asleep in his stroller, which he’s never done before. He must’ve worn himself out from taking his first real steps today. Even the dumb dog is behaving himself.

I finished reading a little book by feminist Sue Bender last night. In Plain and Simple, she discusses her reaction to two conservative midwives deprived of modern choices, as they sought to fulfill their duties to care for their families. Bender nails it:

But Sarah and Becky weren’t old-fashioned. They were two strong, dynamic women who had found ways to fulfill atypical roles for women within a supposedly restrictive system and yet still remain rooted to their home.

They lived with a short cord and lived fully, while I had a long cord and was always tripping over it. (p. 112)

Bender noticed the peace and contentment these women possessed and wanted the satisfaction of a good life too. The problem was that she couldn’t find it. She writes, “Maybe one of these days I’ll be able to give myself a gold star for being ordinary, and maybe one of these days I’ll give myself a gold star for being extraordinary—for persisting. And maybe one day I won’t need to have a star at all.” (p. 130-131)

For all the “freedom” the feminist movement has scored, we aren’t any more content than before. The truth is, we are all slaves—whether to Christ or to sin. That long tether we trip over is the myth that you can “become anything you want to be” (an NBA player?) instead of celebrating the blessed ordinary before us. Freedom is being in Christ; it’s not found in an array of choices, which really aren’t choices at all: to abort or not, to be married to another woman or not, to change your gender or not.

What if we spent the energy we waste exploring our supposed choices on doing what is required: “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Malachi 6:8)? This is how the two women found a good life, and this is what we should do to have one too.