So, have you ever noticed just how difficult it is at times to receive a compliment? One perspective is put forth on this difficulty by Cheryl Dicklow in an article titled “Just Say Thanks” on CNA’s Catholic Womanhood site. Cheryl speaks about John Paul II’s teaching on feminine genius, the giving nature of women and how as natural givers it can be difficult to receive at times. Cheryl says “To take something, even in the form of a compliment, is almost foreign to many females. When Pope John Paul II spoke of the ‘feminine genius,’ he was speaking directly about a trait that is inherent in the nature of woman, what he called ‘the gift of self.’ Women are, by their very design, meant to give. They are wired to nurture and tend to others. Sure, some do a better job of this than others, but at her very core, a woman is created as a giver.....It doesn’t matter how often some radical feminists deny it: women are different from men. The truth our Faith teaches, though, is that this ‘different’ doesn’t have a value attached to it. The value exists in the full and complete phrase ‘different but equal’-- and complimentary......It is this very message that is at the core of who we are and how we can serve God.” (See full article here)
By developing the habit of graciously saying “Thank You” to a compliment, we are actually growing in becoming true gifts of self. Lets all put forth a special effort on cultivating the habit of thanksgiving by joining all of creation in this beautiful time of autumn in saying THANK YOU to God for creating each of us so uniquely...... and for surrounding us with the beauty of His creation. Let us pray to notice the goodness in all those we encounter...to graciously give and receive compliments as ALL good gifts are from Our loving Father.
To find out more about woman’s unique God-given nature and about the complimentarity of man and woman as God created us, please consider an ENDOW study......click here for more information.
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