Well Preserved at Fifty

I laughed when I heard all the hoopla about Barbie turning 50. My daughters had a huge collection of the dolls when they were very young and memories flooded my mind of our living room filled with Barbie going to the beach, Barbie in evening gowns, and Barbie in casual shorts to name just a few. My husband teased about their collection telling me that our living room reminded him of a huge game of Twister with slender legs sticking up in all directions. It was their world and their dolls performed activities that their little imaginations created.

I was amused one day when I listened to the dialogue exchanged between my two girls and a friend’s daughter who was spending the night. The Barbie setting was Christian focused and the back drop was Sunday School Class. Lynda, our pretty pastor’s wife was in the cast as well as Elaine and Judy, both of them Sunday school teachers as well as moms and also good friends of mine in Women’s Ministry at our church. lt was so cute to hear these three “producers” direct their actresses with their make believe story.

I shared at Women’s Bible Study the impact Sunday School teachers had on my girls and how it affected their play time. I thought Lynda, Elaine & Judy would fall off their chairs they were laughing so hard. I wondered if they would ever live down the jokes we made of their new found fame as Barbie Dolls. Here’s the clincher: Lynda, Elaine & Judy were tall, slender, tan and had long, straight hair. They came from California and were true Valley girls converted to Jesus and served him with all their hearts.

It wasn’t long before our Women’s Ministry took a new turn, especially in our Bible studies. The gorgeous pastor’s wife, an excellent teacher and leader, targeted studies with themes that dealt with heart motives and less exterior image. We became women focused on purity rather than outer adornment. Our Lord became our producer and we were living out a new script!

I’ve since moved from that little town on the border of California and Arizona. What I wouldn’t give to see those real live Barbie dolls, umm….well past the age of 50!