lady of reckless abandonment

"A woman is not born a woman. Nor does she become one when she marries a man, bears a child and does their dirty linen, not even when she joins a woman's liberation movement. A woman becomes a woman when she becomes what God wants her to be."

(page 13)

Ruth is frequently mentioned throughout the book and in this chapter three areas of her life are examined. these areas were affected when she recklessly abandoned her life to God. 

new friends: "you mirror those who influence you" (page 17) find people who will encourage your want to be a dedicated single woman, not those who undermine or criticize your drive. mediocre or non-christians might not understand your desire for a deep commitment but remember that who you spend your time with can (and will) affect your relationship with Jesus. 

new surroundings: "part of reckless abandonment is realizing how much our culture has affected our behavior patterns you want to be Christlike, but your lifestyle is a reflections of Vogue magazine or Cosmopolitan rather than a new creation in Christ. A.W. Tozer said, "a whole new generation of Christians has come up believing that it is possible to 'accept' Christ without forsaking the world." Ruth had to forsake the familiar and comfortable in order to receive God's best for her life." (page 18)

new faith: develop a deep relationship with Jesus, not just meaningless rituals, create a vital love relationship with Jesus

[the missing puzzle piece]

hint: it's not Mr. Right...and it's not a dream career or even motherhood

you can never be fully satisfied until you truly understand that you are complete in God

important note: the incompleteness and feeling of being unsatisfied is not due to being single but instead not being full of Jesus---so if two incomplete singles are married, they are not suddenly both complete. and a woman who is not complete in Jesus and gets married will then be a drain on her husband. a woman cannot expect her husband to fill the space that only Jesus can.

and for a closing thought, a good goal for every day really...

"Choose right now to put mediocrity behind you; courageously determine to pursue Jesus with your whole heart, soul, and mind. As a single woman, this is the perfect moment to establish a radical relationship with Jesus and remove any tokenism from your Christian walk."

(page 22)