A Woman's Need to Know

I recently finished a wonderful book full of much wisdom. One of the author's cautions regarded a woman's "need to know." Any wife who's asked her husband, "So what's going on?" after listening to her husband talk to a friend or family member, and then hears, "Nothing," knows what I mean.

You know there was something going on. Otherwise, why were they on the phone for 20 minutes? Did little Johnny break his arm? Did someone get a new car?

The author was asking if knowing any of this is helping our families grow in godliness. Of course, she made the distinction between praying for others and mere gossip, and her point was a good one.

This made me think of how well the "need to know" stays fat and happy in the blogosphere. There's plenty out there that we can get caught up in "knowing." There's a danger there of neglecting our families while our heads are swimming in a sea of meaningless (to us) details about the lives of many people we've never even met.

But I also thought of the blessing of "needing to know" when it comes to that small group of faithful blogging friends who do care about your daughter's fifth birthday or the your joy of feeling your baby move.

When I shared about the crazy, but God-ordained, events of our week so far, my heart wanted to declare the wondrous works of our LORD, and I wanted to encourage another heart. I blinked, and I found so many good words and prayers in the comment box, sincere and encouraging.

My heart overflows with thanks for every one of you, and this is another kindness from the LORD that humbles me.

Women are relational. It's often the small details of our lives that bind our hearts even closer together. Of course, there's a balance in it all. We have to guard ourselves from letting the "need to know" take over, or perhaps just letting it be a "need" at all. We have to stay away from blog hopping that resembles the traveling from house to house and getting the latest gossip that Paul speaks of in 1 Timothy. We have to remember the danger of pursuing on-line relationships at the expense of knowing those around us.

But praise God for the ones who rejoice with us and weep with us, fellow Christians who have never met us in person, but who, we know, are praying for us and encouraging us to fight the good fight and finish the race well.

This is something truly good to know.

With love,
Trisha