International Women’s Day

Today, as you probably know, is International Women’s Day. I have so much on my heart that I want to share about empowering women in poorer nations. They are simply the future for many countries. Women are the needed change. Educating women is vital. If you educate a woman you educate her family and community.

It’s actually my husband’s 40th birthday today, so I’m really pressed for time. Instead of writing I wanted to share a few posts with you that I read earlier today. These posts combine what is on my heart right now. Please take time to read them:

The Measure of a Woman

Ten Things You Can do to Stay Informed and Help Women Everywhere

Let’s Make Today the Last International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day – A Time for Concern, Not Complacency

Seven Ways to Empower Women Today and Everyday

Unwinding

I feel a real sense from God to return to a call He placed on my heart several years ago, social injustice. Before we went on vacation I finished reading The Missional Mom by Helen Lee. This book was full of stories showing how Mom’s have intentionally moved out of their comfort zones and into missional living through callings God has placed on their hearts. For example a couple of families moved from very affluent areas in the US to more impoverished ones, such as Compton, California, to live, be part of the community and seek the Kingdom of God. This book was the beginning of my unwinding.

On vacation I read Global Soccer Mom by Shayne Moore. Back in 2002/2003 God started to move her life in a new direction. Shayne found herself involved with raising awareness about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa and became one of the original members of the ONE Campaign. I found her story compelling. I knew all the facts, all the answers. You see, back in 2002/2003, I was trying to get a HIV/AIDS awareness program off the ground in the UK. However, this was around the time that our pediatrician announced that our son was not developing as she would like. I found myself thrown into the world of hospital appointments, outpatient appointments, tests and hence the program was pushed to one side never to be picked up again. As I read Shayne’s story I felt like she was doing what I had failed to do all those years before. It was almost like I was reading what my story could have been like, only it was not my story.

Now, I am reading The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns. He heads up World Vision USA. The story begins with him honestly giving his account of why he did not want to become the president of World Vision, all he did to avoid the job and how he finally surrendered to God’s will. The rest of the book is to do with situations on the ground that Richard has experienced plus stats on extreme poverty etc.

I highly recommend all the books above, but I can guarantee that you will not be the same after you have read them all.

So, what do these books have to do with me? Well, God is reminding me of who He made me to be. You know sometimes you just know that something makes you tick? For example, maybe you are a worship leader and you know that God has put that gift in you, to lead others, write music etc, it just seems so natural? Well, this is how I feel about social injustice. It breaks my heart that so many children die each day due to lack of food and clean water. Knowing there are so many children out there that are orphans due to AIDS torments me. Ten year old children should not be trying to raise their younger siblings, it’s just wrong. Girls shouldn’t be trafficked so that their family has some money for food. They shouldn’t be denied the same rights and opportunities as their brothers.

Now I’m in the process of trying to hear and discern what to do with this. Where do I go next? There are a few organisations which I feel drawn to World Vision, Compassion and Plan Canada Because I Am A Girl. How will all of this look with pastoring the church etc. How is this going to work? As ever, I am a work in progress!