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In a world that celebrates youth, how do you feel about being fortysomething?
It feels great! When I turned 40, I realized what a gift each day is. Now one of my pet peeves is women who lie about their age. Instead of hiding our years, we should be speaking to younger women out of our life experience.
Why is that important?
God's given us gifts, passions, and insights over the years that younger women need to hear—and that they want to hear.
What do you want to say to younger women?
I want to say, "Let's be real." For example, the other day as I was getting dressed, I realized how much I put on to hide the real me. There are the high heels to give the illusion I'm taller. And I put on at least two pairs of shoulder pads because each pair is supposed to take off five pounds.
Really?
Oh, yeah. They make you square instead of round and raise your shoulders, which gives the illusion of height. Next, I put on my makeup, complete with concealer, lip liner to define my lips, and mascara to define my eyes. Then I blow dry and curl my hair and make sure my nails are painted and pretty.
That's a lot of stuff!
Exactly! It seems as though we're constantly primping and pushing, pumping and padding. But I want to challenge us to take off our masks and share the real us with others. When I'm speaking at Women of Faith conferences, I'd love to go onstage all decked out and one-by-one peel off the different layers I have on. Then when I'm standing there with no makeup and no shoulder pads, I'd remind all the women that God loves us at that level—when we feel vulnerable and even ugly.
How are you committed to investing in the lives of young people?
The organization I'm on board with, Emerging Young Leaders, trains high-school and college-age people to be godly leaders through special curriculum and mentoring relationships.
Working with young people is even more crucial now with all the school shootings. What advice would you give to parents of teens?
I'm not the perfect mother, but one thing I try to do is stay involved in the lives of my sons. Whether it seems like they want us in their lives or not, we've got to stick with them. It can even be as simple as playing board games or softball together or attending their school activities. We don't have to be in their face, just in their life.
Babbie Mason, a Women of Faith guest speaker and performer, is also a teacher, a board member of Emerging Young Leaders, and a recording artist. Her most recent album is No Better Place (Spring Hill).
NEWSFLASH!Sheila Walsh offers glimpses of God's grace in the midst of broken dreams in her new book, Stories from the River of Mercy (Thomas Nelson). For information on locations, dates, and registration for Women of Faith's conferences, call toll-free 1-888-49-FAITH (493-2484), or visit their Web site at www.Women-of-Faith.com.
Copyright © 2000 by the author or Christianity Today International/Today's Christian Woman magazine.
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