The Women We've Been Waiting For

A healthy reflection on true biblical women and femininity, with thoughts on perseverance, authenticity, and overcoming sexism.

(I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)

I received a free copy of, The Women We've Been Waiting For, by Tiffany Bluhm, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is a 40 day women's devotional. This book has prayers, and stories of women in history. This was a good devotional, I enjoyed it.

In this 40-day devotional, Tiffany Bluhm invites all women in the world into a more meaningful understanding of self-care that includes so many aspects such like faith, rest, joy, lament, collaboration, and empowerment. This is what all women really need in their life, to be the women we've been waiting for., to make true difference to the world.

The cover got my attention but the content kept it! I reallllyy enjoyed this devotional by Tiffany.
One word to sum up my feelings about this book is refreshing! In a world full of mundane and repetitive women devotional, this one was breath of fresh air. Such rich text from the contributing authors, I plan to research each one and learn about their work! I also really like the "questions to ponder" section at the end of each chapter; they make great journal prompts.
Good writers always credit the work they used, and I really enjoyed the notes section of the book. Such great research journals and articles that I plan to dig through and read! Tiffany did extensive research on this book and it shows!

This was my first ever devotional and after completing it by reading the ebook, I immediately pre-ordered the hard copy. This had amazing information on history, not only biblical history, but history of women throughout the centuries who made difference and struggled. This was an amazing devotional and I cannot wait to restart it when the hard copy arrives.

I will confess that as I began my time with Tiffany Bluhm's "The Women We've Been Waiting For: A 40-Day Devotional for Self-Care, Resilience, and Communal Flourishing," it wasn't quite what I was expecting.

This isn't a bad thing. At all. I'll simply acknowledge that I was expecting a more traditional devotional. "The Women We've Been Waiting For" is a more immersive experience, a devotional for sure, that transcends your usual tidy quotes and tidier inspirations to create a more engaging, meaningful, practical, and person-centered experience.

"The Women We've Been Waiting For" isn't the kind of devotional that you browse, briefly reflect on, then place it comfortably back on the bedside table. "The Women We've Been Waiting For" is the kind of book that you wrestle with, engage, and ultimately put into action.

Specifically targeting women, and you could probably guess that, "The Women We've Been Waiting For" isn't interested in quick solutions and soundbyte inspirations. Bluhm invites women into a deeper and more meaningful understanding of self-care. It's not the kind of self-care you can buy in a store or solve all your problems in five minutes (neither of which work anyway). Instead, Bluhm invites women into a journey of faith, rest, joy, lament, collaboration, and empowerment. She vividly illustrates via Scripture, liturgies, and beautifully realized storytelling that self-care is critical to women's spiritual growth and empowerment. Self-care equips women to honor their place in the world and to make a difference in the world for themselves and others.

In fact, I perhaps most loved that Bluhm connects-the-dots between self-care and communal flourishing quite wonderfully. Utilizing her own writing along with guest contributions from a diverse group of ministers, authors, and activists, Bluhm invites readers to, in essence, be mentored by women who have learned to manage tension, survive the seemingly impossible, and lean into a resilient faith.

Truly best appreciated as a 40-day journey, "The Women We've Been Waiting For" guides women, or folks like me who choose to embrace it, toward a more vibrant spirituality for everyday living.