The Invisible Woman: A Special Story for Mothers...#BookReview

About the book:
Invisibility is inflicted upon mothers. By the nature of the job their faces disappear and their work is anonymous. They become hands, building and shaping, fashioning and carving. But what if mothers saw their role like a builder working on one of the great cathedrals?

One day a man showed up on the construction site of one of the great cathedrals and saw a builder carving a tiny bird into a beam that would eventually be covered over by the roof. Puzzled, the man asked the worker, "Why are you putting so much time and effort into something no one will ever see?" It is reported that the builder replied, "Because God sees."

The Invisible Woman is a moving story, a sketch performed by Nicole Johnson at the WOF conferences, that affirms women in their often unseen daily chores for their families. It includes a dedication page with the inscription: With admiration for the greatness of what you are building, when only God sees. It is sure to become a treasured gift by mothers and grandmothers everywhere.

I first heard about Nicole Johnson when I saw a You Tube video sketch of her talking about The Invisible Woman. It touched me and made me search out her book. And her book did not disappoint.

How often do women feel invisible? We give our all to being good wives and mothers, but sometimes our efforts are unappreciated and often unnoticed. Nicole addresses this issue in profound ways. She uses the example of a woman named Charlotte who, after confiding in a friend about her invisibility, receives a book about the great cathedrals in Europe. These great cathedrals often took so long to build that many of the workmen would never live to see them finished. Yet, they put their best work into those cathedrals because they knew that God would see that work.

Nicole says, "At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride." That one line touched me so much.

She also said, "
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there." That's what I want my boys to say too.

There was a wonderful section on using your invisibility for the good of others, rather than focusing on ourselves.

This little book is a gem. It's a short, inspiring read. It would make a perfect gift. I checked it out of the library, but I want to get my own copy so that I can re-read it again, and again.  You can purchase your own copy here.

Read 1/09

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5/5 Stars

Comments

  1. That would make a great gift for young mothers!

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  2. Hey Holly, I haven't commented on your blogs lately so this is just a friendly Hi!
    P.S. Anxiously awaiting more stuff on your cooking blog.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi! I wanted you to know I am giving you an award. Stop by this evening to pick it up!

    Thanks,
    http://ablogofbooks.blogspot.com/

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  4. Wow, this sounds like a great book!

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