A few years ago, I took my daughter to see a movie – or at least I thought it was a movie.  It turned out to be a documentary by CNN called “Girls Rising”.  It was a fantastically told news-movie that told about the lack of education for girls around the world.  I had never heard about how if there’s a boy and a girl in the home and there’s only enough money to send one to school – you guessed it – it’s going to be the boy for sure.  And in some countries, girls are forbidden to go to school or even be taught at home.  Kind of backwards and I was amazed at how in this late stage of civilization this could still be happening.

This year, it’s moved on to economics.  And how poverty is sexist.  Really?  How far a leap is that!  And in the last year we’ve seen the #MeToo movement start with great intentions and really just get out of hand.  Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’m a me too, too.  But when lies start to creep in and families are getting torn apart and kids are losing their dads, I really don’t think it’s a good thing.  Not only that, the so-called spokes-women are certainly not ladies and certainly not using language that I would hope a lady wouldn’t use.  Even in this day and age.  I flinch when I hear some of it and read some of their signs.  All this hatred does not appropriately represent me as a woman. And it’s getting more and more vulgar and out of hand.  Our world has gone completely upside down.

But here’s the thing, short and sweet; Jesus was born of a woman who God decided to use for a miracle.  Jesus was sponsored and supported by women in His entourage.  The first three home churches were started in women’s  homes.  There was the woman at the well, my personal favorite, and Mary Magdalene, and even in the old testament, there was Esther and Ruth and Rachel and Miriam and Rahab.  And the list goes on and on.

My point is that women played significant roles in the Bible.  And in this day and age, we find women being raised up all over the place.  Powerful women, educated and uneducated.  Because we all know God will anoint who God will anoint.  And that trumps education every day of the week. Many women are being raised up again; Christine Caine, Lisa Bevere, Jo Ramos, Patsy Clairemont, Alex Seeley, Patricia Shrier, Jenni Allen, just to name a few.  Wow, can those women preach it!

And it’s time for us to rise up and be counted for God as well.  For me, I want to bring as many people with me to heaven as possible.  Bring them to God, teach them about Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  Walk with them through their stuff, mentor them, make disciples, just like we are commanded.  It’s my heart’s desire.  What is yours?

So for this part one (there’s only going to be two parts), this is my point.  Women are an important part of God’s plan.  He has used us in the past and He still will.  We are meant to be everything that a Proverbs 31 woman is, over the course of our lifetime.  We have beautiful differences from men, which we can use for the good of the church.  We will explore this in part two.

We can have a great day celebrating women because we matter to God.  Because we are loved by God.  Because we are God’s daughters.

Happy International Women’s Day!

XOXO, Linda