As International Women’s Day rolls around, my brain is fuzzy with information overload and constant reminders that I am called to rise above gender-imposed impediments, break free from generational limitations, shatter the glass ceiling (I definitely do not want to be the one picking up the shards, so let’s leave that one aside!), be anything I dream of being and whatever else not!
As the digital din grows louder, my ineptness and incompetence seem more and more glaring. But the unmistakable, still, small voice reminds me that the God of the Universe made man and woman in His image, and both are equally precious before Him.
Scripture’s Hall of Fame includes a barren woman who became the mother of nations, a woman who sang and led her people through the parted sea, a woman of questionable reputation who helped the Israelites gain their first foothold into the Promised Land, an obedient and committed judge and prophetess under whose leadership Israel lived through 40 years of peace, a woman who left her people and came to a strange land and was eventually listed in Jesus’ lineage, a wise wife who averted the wrath of a hungry band of mercenaries with her hospitality and respectful demeanour, a humble slave girl whose concern resulted in her master’s inward and outward deliverance, a brave queen who knew she was born for a time such as this. And that is just in the Old Testament!
The New Testament recognises an average teenager who took God at His Word and became the mother of the Saviour of the world, an elderly woman who held onto the hope she would see the Messiah, ordinary women who opened their home to Christ and His disciples and welcomed their brother back from the dead, a woman bold enough to hold onto the hem of His garment for healing whom Jesus singled out from the pressing crowds, a widow who gave all that she had and was commended by Jesus for her generosity, a woman whose credentials and word would not have been accepted in the court of her times but was the first to see resurrected Saviour, a grandmother-mother duo whose commendable faith encouraged an entire generation of believers….and the list continues to spill over.
They changed the course of history by being faithful in the little they were entrusted to do and by being willing to be used by the God of the universe in spite of their backgrounds, culture and age, resources, and every other obstacle in their way.
As Mother Teresa’s life reminds us, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can all do small things with great love.”
We can all do something to impact lives around us.
It could be lending a helping hand to the mom with the newborn, being more generous with the helpers in our homes, or taking an extra portion of lunch for the frazzled colleague at work. Perhaps having a listening ear, having a word of encouragement, being liberal with time and resources, or raising our voice for the voiceless is a calling to pursue.
Maybe it is inviting the forgotten and the overlooked to the festive table, welcoming the neighbourhood kids, praying faithfully for the many needs around us, or running errands for someone who needs medical care. What better way to influence people than living out our sincere faith in such a way that generations follow suit!
Even as I write this, I remind myself that the harvest is plentiful, and I should be among the willing workers. I pray that we will not be limited by our long line-up of fears, finances, time, circumstances, geographical location or whatever else that hinders us from saying "be it unto me according to your Word." Luke 1:38
May we be available and willing to be used in whatever capacity He sees fit in the eternal perspective.
May this be our call to action this Women’s Day.
Dt:-06/05/2024
Greetings to my sis. Anna, I, Pushpa Deepak Pegado resident at Vasai, Mumbai, Maharashtra.
I am happy and grateful with you and Congratulations to you for spreading God's Words. May Almighty God Bless you with lots of happiness and success in Jesus name I will pray Amen.
I am sending you the prayer for your continuous work in Jesus Names in growing Faith and gratefully Life. I gave one more thing I have to say that my daughter also started page as an way of "Gentle Gaze"; i.e. Content Writer. For your information only. That means I say that the words of "The Good Fruit of Obedience".
Today's Blessings:-
My Obedient Lord, You obeyed the will of Your Father in Heaven to Perfection. Through this obedience, You not only experienced the full Love and Joy of the Father in Your human nature, You also set for us a perfect example and model for holiness. Help me to see the areas of my Life in which I need to be more obedient, so that I, too, will share in Your Holy Life and that of the Father’s.
Jesus, I Trust in You.
AMEN
Greetings to you all!
Greetings to you all!