Leah and Rachel . . . and Susan

I was filled with theological insight last night as I was reading Genesis 29. I turned from my reading and said to Henry, "I don't think I would have liked Rachel very much. I feel bad for Leah."

Rachel--the pretty one. The one with great form. The one Jacob immediately fell in love with and worked seven years of his life for. Nowadays Rachel is the cheerleader, the homecoming queen, the one the guys turn around and look at when she walks through the mall, the one who has absolutely no problem at all finding clothes that fit, the one who looks like she has never been pregnant as she leaves the hospital with her new baby in her arms. These are the women who often have many admirers, but often, sadly, no real friends.

And poor Leah, whose name means "cow." The "mistake" wife. The one with weak eyes, whatever that means. No matter how many sons she bore for Jacob, she just couldn't capture his attention. I was gratified to be reminded by my Reformation Study Bible, however, that she bore Levi, head of the priestly tribe, and Judah, head of the tribe from which Jesus would come. God did not forget her.

And then there is Susan. Unless you live under a rock, you've seen the amazing video of this 47-year-old frumpish Scottish woman who shut Simon Cowell up with her stunningly beautiful rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" on Britain's Got Talent. A Christianity Today writer entitled her article with the question of the week: "Why Do We Love Susan Boyle?" There are many reasons Susan Boyle's admirers love her--the underdog that no one expected to succeed. Even now as I type this and am listening to the video in the background, I feel gratified to hear the gorgeous British judge telling Susan that it was a privilege to hear her sing. Honestly, which one of us Leah/Susans hasn't fantasized about having the "pretty girl" express admiration for us at one time or another?

I love Leah and I love Susan because I've been Leah and Susan and have been friends with lots of them--from grade school on. A little overweight, with less sparkle in our eyes than the Rachels, feeling a little frumpishly dressed at times, and definitely not with a great form or a beauty that would make someone work for us for seven years--these are the girls I relate to. And clearly, while being Leah or Susan can have its challenges, it can have its rewards too--and they are glorious rewards when they are finally achieved.