Prairie Muffin, in Noblesville, IN???

I have recently heard of the "Prairie Muffin Manifesto", easily found on the internet with the help of trusty old "Google". I read this, and I was encouraged. It is a 50 item list of the ideals I hold for my life as a mom, wife and Christian. I loved it from the minute I read it, even acknowledging that it is an IDEAL, and as of yet has not even REMOTELY been attained in my life. That is okay with me, though. I know all too well that I am a work in progress, and that God has infinite patience with me as I am daily sanctified in my walk with Him.

As you surely can imagine, I also found much dissent in the list that Google brought up for me. Dissent, disregard, and outright attack on any woman who would seek to stay home with her kids, to serve her husband and submit to his authority in the home, to keep her kids innocent of as much of the worlds yuck as possible until they are ready to deal with it. The most hotly debated and heatedly criticized view, however, is the view that PM's allow God to determine the size of their families, and in doing so do not prevent pregnancy from happening. The venom some people can spit over this issue is, to me, astounding.

I can see, and totally understand why people of differing opinions would see this overall mindset as offensive. They could easily be offended if they understood it to mean that if I believe this, I am saying you are evil for NOT following all these guidelines as I desire to. I would like to propose that I am able to subscribe to the Prairie Muffin mindset without judging, putting down, or hating those who don't. Obviously I believe in my heart that these guidelines for womanly godliness are desirable for everyone, not just me. I don't subscribe to a view that God's truths are subjective. However, how these ideals work out in God's plan for each woman's life can be as varied as the number of women on earth!!!

For example, let's say a woman cannot conceive. This is in no way contrary to the idea of letting God decide the size of a family. God can give us tons of kids, a few kids, or no kids. They are His to give or withhold. When Jeff and I lost our first child in pregnancy, we were devastated. MANY years later, I became convinced that God causes ALL things to work for good in the lives of His children. Even bad, horrible things like this. He is that powerful. If He had chosen that moment to make me barren, we would have had to submit our broken hearts to the Lord's leadership daily for the rest of our lives. Ultimately, size of family isn't what counts.

Regarding the other items on the manifesto, I see these as godly ideals. I will struggle every day to have the right attitude. (You can reference my last post to see me on a day when my attitude was much less than perfect.) But I am thankful to have a list of attitudes and practices to strive to attain. If there are any that God shows me in my life are not in line with His word, then I would throw that one out. Ultimately it isn't the Prairie Muffin Manifesto that guides my life. It is God's word and His truth contained there.

I am grieved when I see Christians slinging arrows at one another for differences in opinion on how to work out our faith in our daily lives. If we must disagree, let's save it for the big things, and never allow the issues that aren't central to salvation to separate us.

As for this little Prairie Muffin, I am going to make sure that I am following Christ as the Bible dictates, and I am going to make sure that I am loving those around me wholeheartedly, without reserve, never letting our differences pull me apart from those God has given me to love.

One last note, though. I will gladly, proudly and hopefully successfully work toward prairie muffin-hood, but I have a question. Considering where I live, am I a suburb muffin? =)