Where Are The Elder Women of Ysrael?

 

Shalom  Sisters,

 

"The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becomes holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; that they may teach the young women to be sober to love their husbands, to love their children.  To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the Word of Elohym be not blasphemed." (Titus 2:3-5)

 

I begin with this verse because it is what YAH directs the older women to do for the younger women.  She is to communicate how to be righteous to the younger women, be it by words, or example (i.e. lifestyle).  It is how YAH says that older women should represent themselves, right?  Let's be honest, how many older women (say from 40 on up), are doing just what the aforementioned verse said?  Are there any examples of righteous older women in our lives today?  By righteous, I mean living the way that YAH has commanded us as Ysrael to live in Torah.

 

Again, let's see what our sister Shahrazad has to say regarding the example of the "older woman":  "The senior Blackwoman, if she chooses, can be beautiful.  If she has taken care of herself physically, eaten properly, had minimum substance abuse, and had pleasant positive thoughts, she is beautiful.  If she has had a man, or still has one, she looks even better. If she has been a bonafide hellraiser, is disappointed in her man, her children, and her life, her condition will reflect that accordingly.  If she is regretful of her life and has bad memories and grieves over them, she will relate her misery to anyone who gives her an ear.

 

Often the disappointed old Blackwoman can be found in the community warning the young girls "don't let no man make a fool out of you" or "all men want to do is use you", or "they only want one thing."  She may report to the other older women in the neighborhood that she is doing better than ever since she got rid of the man she used to have.  She might further tell them "I didn't ever get anything out of it anyway."  She is a sad sight.  Black female elders wrought with turmoil and regret relating lifetime memories about her unfulfilled tenure.  She will brag on how she has always been headstrong and determined to do as she pleased.  She did.  And now she is alone.  Sorry that her life has passed and wishing she had another chance to do it all over again.

 

The ones of them who are married and have been basically happy for many years and who still enjoy the youthful benefits of sex, will be glowing and satisfied.  If she has been having a man on a regular basis her body will be more enticing than that of the Blackwoman who brags about how she got rid of her man years ago.  She will dress better, take care of her hygiene better and be please with herself and her life.  She has pride and is respected for her intelligent knowledge and advice to the young.

 

The older Blackwoman who is dissatisfied will have a face that looks defeated, weary and worn.  Her flesh will hang looser on her bones and she has wrinkles from her permanent frown and bad ideas.  She may be careless about her clothes, her home and will talk to herself - a habit she develops out of loneliness - or a breakdown of her mental abilities.  She complains about the young people in the neighborhood and carries gossip if she gets a chance.  Unfortunately, sometimes the older Blackwoman will give negtive advice to her grand-daughters about how to treat their man.  They advise them to live their own life, don't get tied down to no one man, keep something for themselves and go when he goes.  They might even explain to other young women about how they were such a good wife for 30-40 or 50 years and didn't get anything for it.  It is not exactly plain what the older Blackwoman expects for being a good Blackwoman.  There is no other reward except the satisfaction of knowing she performed a job well done for a deserving Blackman - and for herself.

 

The older Blackwoman also sometimes thinks this modern Blackwoman has more privileges than her because she has the option of doing worldly things other than getting married and having a family.  She admires the idea of independence and wishes she had thought of it.

 

Another group of elder Blackwomen are equivalent to the "dirty old man" and she is obsessed with sex - discussing it - per se.  She pries into the affairs of younger people, openly uses raw language when referring to sex and talks about her own conquest allegedly made when she was young.  She memorizes filthy remarks and may curse loudly in public.  Her personal hygiene is lacking and she may drink a little wine on the side, or nurse hard liquor daily.

 

Sometimes the older Blackwoman, if she is blessed to still be married and have a man, is still bickering with her Black husband about disagreements they had 20-30 or 40 years ago.  The older Blackwoman can be just as rebellious as the younger ones.  They watch and play a lot of petty childish games and complain a lot.

 

The older Blackwoman also remains jealous of her Blackman deep into old age.  She is jealous of younger and older women whom she thinks is laying in wait for her man.  She raises big hell if she suspects her man of fooling around on her.  She does this in fear that he will have sex with another woman, give her his money or leave home...she wants him to believe he is old so that she no longer has to worry about him being attracted or attractive to a younger woman.  Even in the older stages the Blackwoman persist in trying to block the Blackman from pursuing other women.  It makes her bitter and vindictive.  It makes him tired." (Chapter 3, Adulthood)

 

Does any of this sound familiar?  I continue to ask this question, because y’all know it does!   Where are the role models for the younger sistas?  If any of you are over 40, are you representing or at least trying to represent YAH in the eyes of the younger sistas?  Or are we trying to be "hip" and "in style" with today's whatever, in order to look "cool"  in the eyes of the younger ones?  These young sistas can't even "wipe their tahkets (behinds)" correctly, so why are we trying to be on their level?  Let's raise the bars sisterhood, for ourselves and for them!  It is our responsibility to TEACH these young  girls the right way, and that is assuming that we know the right way ourselves. 

 

 

The Scriptural mandate:

 

It is clear, and is found in Titus.

 

It is up to older men to train younger men, and the older women to train younger women. The reason for such an order-setting pattern is simple: there are just some topics which are meant to be shared between women, and some topics meant to be shared between men.

 

In other words; men have been ordained to provide for the home, yet women have been ordained to make a home worthy of provision,   (are y’all hearing me on this...this ain't the time to TRIP!)

 

In the Book of Root/Ruth, Nahomy--the older woman--takes the time to educate, or  ‘hip’  Root--the younger woman—in the ways of womanhood. Nahomy, while disappointed with the initial outcome of her life, because of circumstances, reversals, and downturns, still found the time to put away her crying towel to do what she was created to do; help an unsure, awkward, young girl to become a mature woman who would be pleasing in the eyes of YAH, and blessing to society, rather than a curse.

 

Nahomy was on her JOB!!! She was able to teach Root because Nahomy herself provided Root with that righteous example by the way she lived her life!!! Let's be clear about this...see, we can make our mouths say ANYTHANG, but it is by our FRUITS that we are known...Ahmayn?

 

Take a look around, there are far too many older women in the ‘blaming’ game, rather than getting involved in the ‘training’ game. Our streets are full of young women who know more about Wall Street than how to help the family down her street. As a wise person once told me: ‘We have an abundance of educated fools; men who are smart and won’t provide; women who are smart, and won’t receive.’

 

Eventually, Nahomy trained Root to such a point that Root went solo, and landed the man of her dreams, Boaz--a righteous and mighty man of YAH and of wealth. Nahomy trained Root to know the difference between the ‘punks, skunks, and drunks’, and she (Root)--the stranger/foreign girl who “was not” an “Israelite”, wound up married to a man of YAH! As a bonus, Root and Boaz were firmly imbedded into the bloodline of Yahoshua The Messiah--all because Nahomy stopped thinking about her past, and reached forward to a better  future by helping someone--a younger woman--in need, Nahomy did what she was supposed to do!  Are you?

 

WOMEN OF OLD WHO WERE BOLD:

When an older woman helps to shape the life of a younger woman, she could impact the destiny of an entire nation of people! There are many young sistas out here that can and need to be inspired by us. But first, they must be able to see OUR LIGHT SHINING, we must be on our JOB in “handling’ our binness”!!! When we look back at our “emote/mothers” like Nahomy, Deborah, Reebkah, Sarah, etc., then bring it up a bit to Harriet Tubman, Sojurner Truth, etc,. What modern innovation compares to the Underground Railroad?

 

Yes, these were real, flesh and blood women.

 

However, when the going got rough, they didn’t ‘opt out’ for a seminar on self-esteem. They remembered how they were ‘raised up’ by other women, and faced the day at hand, working as a team with the men around them!

(again, y’all ain’t hearing me this morning)!

 

If only many of the modern women of today had such courage!

 

Do the brothas have to encourage us sistahs to get back to the basics, or can we do this on our own? Let us step up to the plate!!! Not in a harsh way, but in a truthful manner. If for whatever reason we “older” sistahs don’t or can’t do this, then direct the younger sistahs to the elder women in this Journey of Return unto YAHWAH, who have a track record of sobriety, modesty, and maturity. They do exist. They are as close as the E-groups, Paltalk Chatrooms, Congregations and next door, or even within the confines of your local home. Righteous, quality women--just like quality men--don’t just happen. Someone has taken the time to get involved with them and helped them see that they don’t have to be a statistic, but they can be an inspiration.  The evidence is clear that more and more men are helping the younger brothas.

 

We are still waiting for the elder women to reach and teach the daughters.

 

How are you helping the younger sistahs?

 

In Messiah…