by Shannon Tanner

If anyone can attest to the thrill of being a STRONG and independent woman, I can! I came into my marriage with a strong sense of self. I knew where I was going, and what it would take to get there. I often joke with my friends that I should have worn a t-shirt in the early years of my marriage that read: “Baby, I got this! Just hold my purse!” And while this kind of woman is often publicly celebrated and revered as the model of new age feminine success; privately her love life will eventually suffer. When women aggressively seek to meet their own needs, not only do we devalue the position of the men in our lives, but we also rob them of the opportunity to become who God designed them to be; our covering, our protectors our strength. We end up years later, tired weary and confused, wondering who is fighting for us? We push our men into a corner and then get mad when they are afraid to come out. We clip their wings and then get mad when they are afraid to fly.